CCTVs in police stations: Supreme Court directs amicus to convene meeting for utilisation of funds

Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, acting as an amicus curiae, was asked to hold a meeting on May 6 with the Centre, all states and Union Territories.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed for holding a meeting of Centre and States on May 6 to deliberate on the aspect of utilisation of funds by the states on installation of CCTVs in police stations across the country.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta asked senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, acting as an amicus curiae in a suo motu matter concerning lack of functional CCTVs in police stations, to hold a meeting on May 6 with the Centre, all states and Union Territories.

"We are of the view that a meeting be convened by the amicus, as done earlier, in which the home secretary of the central government or his nominee not below the rank of joint or additional secretary and the home secretary of states/Union Territories will participate," the bench said.

The amicus flagged the aspect of utilisation of funds by the states. Dave told the bench that in UTs, the Centre gives 100 percent funds while in hilly states, the central government gives 90 percent funding. He said in remaining states, the Centre gives 60 percent while the rest 40 percent funding is by the respective state.

"Why don't we get responses of the states only on utilisation of funds," the bench said. The top court suggested that the amicus can convene a meeting with the Centre, states and UTs on the issue.

It posted the matter for hearing on May 13 and said that a report be submitted before it.

On April 7, the Centre told the top court that all issues concerning installation of CCTVs in police stations would be sorted out within two weeks.