India’s Delhi plans to implement city surveillance

The Indian capital Delhi's local government has allocated US$30 million towards a new scheme to install video surveillance cameras throughout the city.

Presenting the government's annual budget this week, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia highlighted the importance of women's safety in the city. A number of incidents of violence against women were reported in Delhi in the recent times.

Media reports suggest that video surveillance equipment will also be installed in several public buses. The government has also made it mandatory that all public vehicles including taxis should install GPS.

According to a report from the local news portal India.com, Delhi Chief Minister Aravind Kejriwal has held a meeting with the city's governor and police chief commissioner regarding the latest plans.

Kejriwal has said a detailed plan on how the project is to be implemented will soon be revealed. Apart from the budget for video surveillance, $17 million was earmarked for ensuring adequate lighting in around 42,000 spots in the city.

These decisions come even as the Indian government is making large-scale efforts to build several smart cities in the coming years.