Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government is working on a plan to install five CCTV cameras in every village panchayat across the state, alongside a policy to govern the storage and retention of surveillance footage.
The proposal was presented before the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday during the hearing of two petitions filed by Sharlet Fernandes, including one concerning the Village Panchayat of Majorda-Utorda-Calata.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam informed the court that the government had prepared a draft policy on CCTV footage retention. He also submitted that an assessment was underway to determine the technical feasibility and financial requirements of installing five cameras in each village panchayat under a dedicated government scheme.
The assessment is expected to be completed within approximately three weeks.
The proposed policy is intended to establish guidelines for retaining CCTV recordings, while the planned camera network would extend surveillance infrastructure to village panchayats across Goa.
After considering the government’s submissions, the High Court observed that implementing the CCTV installation scheme and the footage retention policy would address a substantial part of the concerns raised in the petitions.
The court has adjourned the matter to November 25 for further hearing.
