Insufficient security at Govt Polytechnic, say officials

The Government Polytechnic at Kherwadi, Bandra, an educational institution by day, turns into the meeting ground for couples and haunt for drug addicts who enter the premises through a breach in the boundary wall after sundown, claimed the institute officials. According to them, the three-man security is insufficient for the campus and repeated requests to the Directorate of Technical Education to increase the security and repair the walls has not elicited any response due to which the campus is being misused by outsiders.

Speaking about the problem, Dr R.P. Barhate, vice principal of the institute, said that the campus was huge and had three buildings apart from a hostel for the students. “The wall on the rear side of the institute is breached and all efforts to block it by placing sand bags have failed as drug addicts and couples remove the same and enter the premises after sundown. The security personnel assigned to the campus are insufficient and fear for their lives as the trespassers threaten them with knives if they try to evict them to stop them from entering the premises,” said Dr Barhate.

When The Asian Age visited the premises, some youngsters from the neighbouring slums were seen playing carrom on the campus. When asked about the same, a security personnel confirmed that they were not from the institute and said that when they asked the boys to leave they threatened them with dire consequences. “We fear for our lives and hence prefer to let them be. Due to the proximity of the slums, some children use the premises to defecate and throw garbage too,” said a security personnel requesting anonymity.

MNS youth wing leader Akhil Chitre, said after getting wind of the situation he confronted the institute authorities. “The authorities said they had written to the DTE regarding the problem but it had done nothing about it.The party will take up the issue through its elected representatives with the chief minister as it also jeopardises the security of the students living on the campus,” said Mr Chitre.

Dr S.K. Mahajan, director of DTE, was unavailable for comment.