Assam: Opposition expresses apprehension of 'police raj', invasion of privacy through bill on CCTV installation

Opposition parties in Assam voiced concern in the Assembly that the new legislation mandating the installation of CCTV cameras by private building owners might lead to 'police raj' and invasion of individuals' privacy.

The House passed the Assam Public Safety (Measures) Enforcement Bill, 2023 by voice vote. The opposition parties accepted the proposed law's "intention" to guarantee public safety, but they wanted additional clarification on specific areas.

"The intention of the Bill is good. But there is scope for public harassment in it," Congress lawmaker Bharat Chandra Narah said taking part in a discussion on the Bill.

He stated that several provisions of the Act, such as the one permitting police to enter private locations with "prior notice" to obtain CCTV material, needed greater clarification because the term for an advance notification was not defined.

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Narah further stated that the penalty levels suggested in the Bill are excessive and requested that they be reduced. According to independent MLA Akhil Gogoi, the Bill would result in a "police raj" since the law enforcement agency has been granted the authority to access private homes, guarantee the installation of CCTV cameras, and do other similar tasks.

"There will be an invasion of privacy by this law. It will empower the police in many ways and make it possible for them to exploit the powers given to them,” he claimed. 

Reacting to the objections expressed by the opposition, State Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal stated that the police have been given powers in the new laws to deal with the law and order situation.

The new legislation aims to maintain public safety, and because the police deal with it directly, it has been granted authority, he added. Singhal also stated that the government is installing CCTV cameras in various regions and that coverage would be expanded.

Congress Legislator Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha requested that the government install CCTV cameras in all public places in metropolitan regions first, followed by rural areas. To protect public safety, the Bill requires the installation of CCTV cameras in locations such as commercial businesses, industrial establishments, religious sites, educational institutions, government buildings, sports complexes, residential structures, and others.

Owners of such locations are expected to install the necessary monitoring technology within a certain time frame, failing which the facilities may be shut down by local authorities or a fine levied.

The surveillance film must be kept for 30 days and made accessible to the authorities if needed.

In response to a query by Congress Legislator Rekibuddin Ahmed, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also handles the home portfolio, stated in the Assembly that Assam Police put 291 cameras in various key areas around the city in 2011.

These cameras were monitored by the police control room at Ulubari. Guwahati Smart City Limited, he added, is installing 94 CCTV cameras in the city as part of the Integrated Traffic Management System.

Twenty of these cameras have already been installed.