Mangaluru constituency could soon get an advanced digital surveillance network with a dedicated command centre to monitor traffic violations and assist in crime detection at a cost of approximately Rs 20 crore, said assembly speaker and Mangaluru MLA UT Khader.
He told reporters on Tuesday that discussions have already been held with the city police commissioner and director general of police regarding the project. Under the proposal, smart AI cameras will be installed at key locations across the constituency, including border areas, while high-resolution cameras will cover other strategic points. All cameras will be linked to a command centre.
Khader said the command centre will enable real-time monitoring and faster response to incidents. He noted that apart from Smart City projects, this could be among the first instances of a constituency-level command centre being established outside the Smart City framework. However, the maintenance manpower will be provided by private parties, including medical colleges, engineering colleges, and IT giants in the constituency.
Addressing concerns about private sector involvement in managing the command centre, he clarified that all investigations will remain the responsibility of the police. Responding to questions about public-private partnerships (PPP) in governance, particularly criticism of collaborations between government hospitals and private medical colleges, Khader defended the model. He said such partnerships are intended to improve public services rather than privatise government institutions.
"Government hospitals remain under government administration. The partnerships help improve infrastructure and strengthen the availability of doctors and specialised services," he said.
Khader cited the example of the community health centre (CHC) in Ullal, where a tie-up with a private medical college was introduced during his tenure as health minister. While a typical CHC is staffed with a limited number of specialists, the partnership enabled the addition of services such as dialysis and increased specialist availability. As a result, patient footfall at the Ullal CHC rose from around 50-60 patients a day to nearly 500-600, while round-the-clock medical services and security arrangements were also introduced, he said.
CPM Opposes Move
The CPI(M) Dakshina Kannada district committee has opposed the proposal to involve private parties, including medical colleges, in managing the proposed AI camera surveillance system in Ullal. Muneer Katipalla, secretary of the district committee of CPI(M), welcomed the state government's decision to install AI cameras across Ullal taluk but strongly objected to the move to entrust the management of the system to private parties.
