Amritsar Smart City Integrated Command Control Centre misses another deadline

The authorities have failed to meet yet another deadline to set up the Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC), a crucial component of the Amritsar Smart City.

Advertisement

Despite assurances from officials of the Municipal Corporation that the project would be launched by August 15, the ICCC remains incomplete.

The delay has also impacted the traffic police’s plan to issue e-challans to traffic violators by using CCTV cameras and facial recognition system to track movement of criminals.

Senior police officials stated that they were working on the e-challan project and would launch it soon.

Sandeep Singh, In-charge, ICCC-cum-Executive Engineer, Amritsar MC, said, “The installation of CCTVs and other infrastructure has been done. It can be made operational anytime. Now, the government needs to decide when it wants to inaugurate it.”

In October 2022, the Amritsar Smart City Limited initiated the ICCC project, which aims to establish a state-of-the-art surveillance system with 1,168 CCTV cameras installed at 409 locations across the city.

The Rs 91 crore project includes 50 face detection cameras, 10 LED screens and a public alert system at 50 chowks.

The holy city has witnessed an alarming rise in snatching incidents in the last one month. Around 40 snatchings incidents had been reported in the city and surrounding areas. The project’s delay has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the Smart City initiative in enhancing public safety and traffic management.