PESHAWAR: The district administration here on Sunday launched the country’s first-ever surveillance squad for efficient monitoring of administrative matters of Peshawar district, including performance of employees, encroachments, illegal speed breakers and wall chalking through CCTV cameras.

While launching the service, Peshawar’s deputy commissioner Imran Hamid Sheikh said that this surveillance vehicle was equipped with CCTV cameras which were connected with the District Smart Control Room where trained staff converted the gathered information into actionable data.

Mr Sheikh said that upon collection of the data about employees, encroachments, illegal speed breakers, wall chalking, public meetings, protest demonstrations and any other public movement, he will take decision. The administration has plans to monitor situation of the city through this vehicle in order to ensure accuracy and timely administrative action.

It will monitor various issues in city through cameras

“Now, we can monitor situation about encroachments, cleanliness, wall-chalking, illegal speed breakers, traffic jams, etc through this vehicle and take appropriate decisions timely. Even work on development schemes could be monitored through this surveillance vehicle,” he added.

The DC said that they had identified 500 violators of wall chalking on the first day of operation of this vehicle on whom notices had been served.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the district administration Sajid Khan told this correspondent that the CCTV cameras included one drone camera which could cover public meetings, protest demonstrations, emergency situation like floods, law and order, etc.

The surveillance vehicle, he said, would move in the city following instructions from the relevant officials to mitigate pubic miseries and to facilitate the citizens. He said that in case of public complaints the administration would be able to have video recording in addition to live reporting by the smart control room about a particular event, mishap or violation. He said that it was first surveillance service in the country.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2018