DCW inspection finds glaring security lapses at MCD schools

The DCW initiated the inquiry after the recent incident of a stranger entering a classroom and sexually assaulting two minor girls at a municipal primary school in east Delhi’s Bhajanpura.

Following a surprise inspection of four municipal schools in the Capital, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Monday issued a notice to Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner flagging concerns such as poor infrastructure and lax security measures. The DCW has sought an action-taken report by May 30.

DCW team inspects four MCD schools, calls them 'horror houses'. (Twitter/ Swati Maliwal)

In a written statement on Monday, DCW said an inspection of the four schools revealed issues pertaining to safety and security. It noted that gates of all four schools were left open with no security guards present. In one of the schools, used syringes, drugs, cigarette boxes, gutkha wrappers and broken alcohol bottles were found. School buildings were damaged and none of the schools had a functional CCTV camera.

The DCW initiated the inquiry after the recent incident of a stranger entering a classroom and sexually assaulting two minor girls at a municipal primary school in east Delhi’s Bhajanpura.

A DCW team comprising chairperson Swati Maliwal conducted surprise inspections in four schools— Bhai Mandeep Nagpal Nigam Vidhyalaya, Aruna Nagar (north), Nigam Pratibha Sah Shiksha Vidhyalaya, Kewal Park (north), Purvi Dilli Nagar Nigam Pratibha Vidhyalaya, Mustafabad (east), Dakshini Dilli Nagar Nigam Prathmik Sah Bal Balika Vidhyalaya, Sanjay Colony, Bhati Mines (south)— last Friday and Saturday.

Following the visit, Maliwal said she was shocked by the dismal conditions. “How can a school exist without a security guard and CCTV? How can a school exist in a building where a board has been put up by MCD itself, requesting people to stay away as the building is damaged? In today’s world, MCD is running schools where girls are forced to defecate in the open,” said Maliwal.

She said that the situation in MCD schools was alarming and necessitated urgent corrective steps. “I have issued a notice to MCD commissioner in the matter. The situation must be urgently improved and action should be taken against officials who are responsible for allowing such dismal conditions in schools,” said Maliwal.

In response to DCW’s findings, MCD said that the school at Bhati Mines faced difficulty in providing facilities as it was located on forest department’s land. It added that the school in Aruna Nagar will be renovated soon and attributed the presence of gutkha wrappers, broken syringe and cigarette butts to the corporation’s dispensary near the school in Keval Park area.