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The Orissa High Court has directed the Odisha government to file its response to a request from the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) for financial assistance to complete a city-wide project involving the installation of CCTV cameras and electronic traffic signals in Cuttack.
The directive was issued by a division bench of Justices S K Sahoo and V Narasingh while hearing a petition on Wednesday.
According to The Times of India, the court’s order came after the CDA submitted an affidavit outlining the progress of the project and the financial hurdles it has encountered.
The Cuttack DCP had reportedly earlier recommended the installation of surveillance systems at 191 locations and traffic signals at multiple intersections to strengthen law enforcement, regulate traffic, and improve public safety.
Acting on the recommendation, the CDA approved the project and selected a Kolkata-based firm through a tendering process. An agreement was signed in June, and the authority released an advance of Rs 26.86 crore for the first phase, covering CCTV cameras at 107 points and traffic signals at 30 junctions, and installation work had already begun at 10 locations.
However, a subsequent request from the DCP to include 84 additional sites pushed the overall project cost to an estimated Rs 53.73 crore.
Citing budgetary limitations and ongoing maintenance commitments, the CDA formally sought assistance from the Housing and Urban Development Department in July to meet the expanded requirement.
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Taking note of the affidavit, the High Court directed the state counsel to obtain instructions from the concerned department and file a response to the CDA’s plea for funds. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on September 18.
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