Panel to review security at all government-run women’s hostels

The five-member committee’s first meeting was held on Friday in Sahyadri Guest House and the committee circulated a Google Form to take suggestions from stakeholder groups. “At present, there are no uniform rules and regulations to run the hostel

Mumbai: The committee appointed to inquire about and review hostels in the state will come out with strong recommendations to define the process of hostel security, infrastructure and its administration, said Shailendra Deolankar, director of higher education, on Friday.

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On June 8, a day after the body of an 18-year-old girl was found in her hostel room at the Savitri Devi Phule Mahila Chhatralaya at Marine Drive, the state government appointed two committees — one to probe the incident and the other to review the security systems in place at all the women’s hostels across the state.

The five-member committee’s first meeting was held on Friday in Sahyadri Guest House and the committee circulated a Google Form to take suggestions from stakeholder groups. “At present, there are no uniform rules and regulations to run the hostel. The government issues various government resolutions (GR) from time to time regarding hostel security and administration. We will thoroughly study this matter, and we will submit a detailed report with recommendations to the government in the timeframe given to us,” said Deolankar, who is heading the five-member committee.

The state higher and technical education department has appointed Nipun Vinayak, an IAS officer who is serving as the director of the state project Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, to investigate the incident and submit a report. On Thursday, to fast-track the investigation, the government assigned Professor Ujjawala Chakradev, VC, SNDT Women’s University, to help Vinayak.

Higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil said, “The incident that took place in Savitri Devi Phule Government Hostel is very painful, and the government has taken serious notice of it. A committee has been formed for a thorough investigation of this incident and strict action will be taken against the culprits.”