65,000 state and civic-run schools to get CCTV cameras

The reply came a day after she said that the state would come up with a policy to ensure the safety of girls in schools

Mumbai: Days after an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in a Pune school, school education minister Varsha Gaikwad said that the government would install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in over 65,000 state-run and civic-run schools. The minister was responding to a starred question in the Legislative Assembly on Friday.

The state has decided to install CCTV cameras in all state-run schools. (Stock Pic)

The reply came a day after she said that the state would come up with a policy to ensure the safety of girls in schools. Sangram Thopte, a legislator from Bhor in Pune district, raised the question of installing CCTVs in schools run by the government, municipal corporation, district councils, and Zilla Parishad. The legislator demanded that the state government allocate funds for the installation of cameras, which would ensure safety for students.

“The state has decided to install CCTV cameras in all state-run schools. There are 65,086 schools of which 1,624 schools already have CCTV cameras. The remaining schools will get cameras by this year’s end. Funds will come through District Planning and Development Councils, MPLAD, MLA funds, along with the participation of NGOs,” Gaikwad said.

She further said that besides installing the camera, maintenance of the cameras will also be looked into. “The Pune school [where the recent incident took place] had cameras, but it did not have a hard disk. So maintenance of the infrastructure is also important,” she said.

She also announced the setting up of Sakhi Savitri teams in school. “There will be Sakhi-Savitri teams at the school level to ensure safety of students. This has to be done within the next 15 days. This team will comprise members of the school management, teachers, parents, doctors and also students. The schools will also be asked to tie up with the local police station,” she added. This team will also be entrusted with viewing the CCTV’s footage monthly and will need to inform authorities if they find something objectionable, she added. Neelam Gorhe, deputy chairman, Legislative Council said that all steps should be taken to ensure the safety of the students.

On March 23, the accused entered the premises during school hours and took the minor near a lavatory, where he sexually assaulted her, Pune police said. The 11-year-old girl, who studies in class 6, told her friends, who in turn alerted the school authorities. One suspect was arrested on Thursday.