Mangaluru: Have you ever wondered how many police cameras have recorded your movements, violation of traffic laws on any of your given trip to local grocery store, day out or journey around your home, office within Mangaluru? Here’s how many police CCTV cameras are there in Mangaluru.

With the implementation of new amended Motor Vehicle Act with reviewed fines for traffic violations, Police CCTV cameras have been playing more vital role to help the traffic police department to identify the violators of traffic laws and send the fine challan straight to their homes.

Not only this, the CCTV cameras in the city have also been helping the police department in cracking sensational murder cases like Shrimati Shetty murder case.

According to the City’s Assistant Commissioner of Police Traffic Sub-division, Manjunath Shetty, there are currently 93 CCTV cameras that have their surveillance on the city’s roads 24x7. Initially, in the first phase only 18 cameras were installed in the city. But the Police’s surveillance received a major boost when in 2017 additional 75 cameras were installed at various places and junctions in the city. The data of these cameras are stored for a certain period of time.

Additionally, the Police also access the CCTV cameras of private entities when and where required. This happens mostly during investigation of crimes and not for traffic violations, Shetty told Vartha Bharati.

Adding that there are no automatic capturing CCTV cameras in the city, Shetty said that the cameras are monitored manually 24x7 at control room.

“There are cops monitoring the footage 24x7 and they capture violations of traffic rules all the time. We used to report more than 100 violation cases everyday through cameras. Now with new rules and fines it has come down a bit and on average we report about 50-60 cases daily. That’s a significant decrease in numbers” Shetty told.

“There is a greater need of creating awareness among the youngsters. They should follow traffic laws for their own safety but instead today, youngsters follow these laws only when they see a traffic cop, a patrolling vehicle or at places where they know there are cameras.”

“They are following the rules and laws for the fear of being fined heavy fines under new laws. The purpose is being served but there is no morality in that. We will be happy when people will follow rules for their and other’s safety” Shetty added.

Shetty also informed that the department’s surveillance of the city will get another major boost soon as 60 more CCTV cameras will be installed at various places in the city under Smart City project. These cameras are expected to start working by the end of 2020.

So next time when you go out in the city on your vehicle without helmet or seatbelt, beware as these CCTV cameras are watching you. You might just get a fine challan delivered to your home before you can head out the next time.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of being "anti-worker" and demanded that the new labour code be reviewed, MGNREGA be revived as well as a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day be established.

On International Labour Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the government and said unemployment in India today is a direct consequence of the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policies.

"Driven by the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policy, the Modi government implemented an anti-worker Labour Code. As a result, unrest has erupted everywhere - be it in Noida, at the IOCL facility in Panipat, Adani's factory in Raikheda, NTPC Patratu, or the Samsung factory in Sriperumbudur," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.

Instead of ensuring job security, this Code promotes policies such as contract labour and 'Hire & Fire' practices, Kharge said and called for a review of the new Labour Code.

The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA by forcibly pushing legislation through Parliament, he alleged.

"Mr. Modi has shifted 40% of the wage burden onto the State governments. State governments are unable to bear this financial strain and will eventually be forced to stop providing work," he claimed.

The Modi government has compelled workers into a state of unemployment and pushed them towards 'gig work', Kharge said.

Currently, 69% of the workforce is working for wages below the statutory minimum wage, he said.

The Modi government has engineered a crisis of stagnant wages, Kharge alleged.

"When adjusted for inflation, the wages of the majority of India's workers have grown by less than 1% annually over the last decade (from 2014-15 to 2022-23)," he said.

The Modi government has created a massive unemployment crisis among the educated workforce, specifically, among graduates, Kharge claimed and added that jobs have been eliminated through the sale of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

"The government has refused to fill approximately 30 lakh vacant government positions. Furthermore, the government's policy blunders have led to the decimation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)," the Congress chief said.

The Congress reiterates its five demands for India's workers including revival of MGNREGA and its expansion to urban areas, Kharge said.

He said a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day should be established, with MNREGA included within its scope.

Kharged demanded that a 'Right to Health' law must be enacted, providing Universal Health Coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh for laborers and workers.

"'Life Insurance and Accident Insurance' coverage must be provided for all unorganized workers. Preventing the contractualization of employment must be made a core priority of the government, and the new Labour Codes must be reviewed," Kharge asserted.