New Delhi [India], April 2 : Delhi Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh on Wednesday, April 1, initiated the phased removal of 1.4 lakh Chinese-origin CCTV cameras installed across the city during the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) tenure.
Under PWD, a total of 2,74,389 CCTV cameras were installed in two major phases -- 1,40,000 in Phase 1 (September 2020 to November 2022) and 1,34,389 in Phase 2 (June 2025 to March 2026). All cameras in Phase 1 were from the Chinese company Hikvision, which has raised global security concerns.
Parvesh Sahib Singh said, "AAP did not consider the long-term security implications while installing Chinese Hikvision cameras across Delhi. Surveillance is not just a matter of appearances; it is a serious issue linked to the control of sensitive data."
He further added, "This was not a routine procurement process. When you deploy such technology across an entire city, it directly touches national security. Unfortunately, AAP failed to understand the gravity of the matter."
He added that the cameras will be replaced in phases with modern, secure, and technologically superior systems meeting high data security standards, ensuring robust supply and service support.
"We have decided to remove such CCTV cameras installed in the city in phases, especially those sourced from Chinese companies. They will be replaced with modern, secure, and technologically superior systems that meet high data security standards and have robust supply and service support. The process will be phased to ensure there is no disruption to surveillance," he emphasised.
Announcing immediate steps, he said, "In the first phase, approval has been given to replace 50,000 Chinese cameras. Every Chinese camera installed earlier will be systematically replaced with a secure and reliable system."
Taking an indirect jibe at AAP, he said, "For them, it was just about numbers and publicity. For us, it is a matter of security, accountability, and protecting the citizens of Delhi -- no compromise is acceptable."
Officials confirmed that the phased process will ensure uninterrupted surveillance while improving system security and effectiveness.