Panchkula, June 30 -- In response to a significant surge in cases of theft, burglaries, and snatching incidents in Panchkula, the municipal corporation (MC) is embarking on a pilot project to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in key market areas. This initiative, costing Rs.4.89 crore, aims to enhance surveillance and deter criminal activity across the city. According to a concerned MC official, these cameras will be strategically placed atvulnerable locations in the city, with their exact positions determined in consultation with the police department. The project will initially focus on market areas, with plans for further expansion. The selected agency for this project will be responsible for the supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of the CCTV surveillance system, with a six-month completion deadline. Initially, two tenders have been floated by the MC. The first, valued at Rs.2.4 crore, will cover entry-exit points and market areas in Sectors 6, 7, and 8. A second tender, costing Rs.2.4 crore, is for similar installations in Sectors 9, 10, and 15. While the new project is a welcome step, concerns linger regarding the effectiveness of existing infrastructure. SK Nayar, president of the Citizens' Welfare Association (CWA), alleged that approximately 40 percent of the 470 CCTV cameras already installed in the city are non-functional. Vijay Kumar Sharma, president of the Market Association, Sector 15, expressed satisfaction with the MC's plan to install cameras in their market but stressed the critical need for the re-establishment of the abolished police post in their sector, along with increased police deployment. SK Nayar attributes Panchkula's escalating crime rates to a severe shortage of police force, compounded by the city's VIP/VVIP culture that diverts limited personnel. "This leaves ordinary citizens vulnerable, allowing criminals to easily escape to adjacent states. Police posts are critically understaffed and recent crime cases, particularly those victimising women and seniors, largely remain unresolved with minimal police assistance," he alleged. The associations has written to the DGP Haryana and other senior officials demanding the long-overdue deployment of adequate police force, increased night patrolling, heightened border vigilance, the establishment of a separate VIP security force, and the reinstatement of the abolished police post in Sector 15 to address the unbearable crime situation. Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) across various sectors are also voicing their distress over the lack of policepatrolling. The Resident Welfare Society of Sector 2 has already taken matters into its own hands, hiring two mobile security guards on motorbikes to patrol their entire sector from 9 pm to5 am. Other RWAs are also making independent security arrangements....