According to officials, the Ministry of Home Affairs under the request of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) is currently chalking out such a plan. [break]
“Yes there have been discussions in this regard,” said Spokesperson for the OPMCM Sharada Prasad Trital. “However, we are in the initial phase and are still studying the long-term impact of the use of such technology.”
The CCTV would help monitor regular activities of all the secretaries. The CCTV and video conferencing would be a step ahead in making senior officials more accountable to the public, an official said, adding “This would also mean that no service seeker would have to waste unnecessary time, effort and money to get works done.”
OPMCM officials said that the video conferencing will help reduce time that is often wasted while holding meetings between chief secretary and other secretaries. “That will also help take quick decision on any matter,” said the official.
OPMCM and National Vigilance Center (NVC) have already begun joint efforts to install CCTV in government offices, including Land Revenue, District Administration, Survey, Transport Management and Land Reforms, among others.
“The CCTV will help curb irregularities in government offices,” said another source.
However, some administrative experts have raised the issue of the right to privacy of officials. “Wouldn´t CCTV infringe on the right to privacy of officials?” a retired government secretary questioned. “The OPMCM should also think over the issue from that perspective before expediting the plan.”
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