Badlapur fallout: Maharashtra govt makes CCTV installation in schools mandatory

Mumbai, Aug 21 (IANS) A day after protests were staged against the sexual assault on two four-year-old minor girls at a school in Maharashtra's Badlapur city, the state government on Wednesday issued a resolution to ensure the safety of students in general, and the girl students in particular, in the schools.

According to the government resolution, it will be binding on all schools to install CCTVs within a month for the safety and security of students, teachers and non-teaching staff in the schools and in their vicinity.

If CCTVs are not installed in the schools run by the government and local self-governments, then they will have to initiate action soon. After their installation, the schools will have to periodically check the footage and if found unobjectionable, it will be the responsibility of the headmaster and school management to take further action.

The schools will have to take all the necessary due precautions during the recruitment of non-teaching employees, and they will have to keep a vigil for those already employed in the schools.

Further, the school management will have to check the background of regular employees or outsourced employees or those on contract, including security personnel, bus drivers, sweepers and helpers.

The schools will have to take character verification reports from the police. It will be mandatory for schools to appoint women employees on a priority basis for students up to six years.

The schools have to install a complaint box and it will have to be examined if it is being used effectively. The school headmaster will be held responsible in case of lapses in this regard.

The schools will also have to strictly adhere to government norms with regard to Sakhi Savitri Samiti and Vidyarthi Suraksha Samiti.

Further, the government has established a state-level security review committee headed by the School Education Commissioner. The committee will have six members.

It will also be binding on the school management to immediately report untoward incidents, if any, to the school education officer. In case of any delays, the action will be taken against the school management.

Meanwhile, the leader of opposition in the state council Ambadas Danve led a delegation and met Maharashtra Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla demanding that the accused involved in the Badlapur sexual assault case be severely punished, adding that action should be taken against the police and school management "for showing inordinate delays in doing what is required".

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)

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