BMC schools to have CCTV units

Mumbai: In a fresh move, 701 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-run (BMC) schools will get CCTV camera units in their campuses and buildings. BMC chief Ajoy Mehta has promised to complete the work of installation of the CCTV cameras in the schools soon to prevent untoward incidents.  

In October, the BMC’s education committee members had requested the corporation to install CCTV cameras after the murder of seven-year-old Pradyaman Thakur at Ryan International School in Gurgaon. Unlike the private schools, no BMC school has CCTV cameras even in their vicinity.

In 2017, the corporation had allocated Rs 2,311.66 crore to its education department for the academic year 2017-18. However, installation of CCTV cameras in the schools was not mentioned in this year’s budget. The BMC has 701 school buildings out of which 417 are self-owned buildings, 227 rented buildings, 33 buildings are of the estate department, and 24 buildings are rent free.

“CCTV cameras are for precautionary measures and will also help to keep an eye on the students and even the staff. Ajoy Mehta has assured that the corporation will soon start the technical work in order to install the cameras,” said Sainath Durge, a member of BMC’s education committee, who had raised the matter with Mr Mehta and Shubhada Gudekar, chairperson of the committee.  Earlier, Ms Gudekar had told The Asian Age that henceforth it would be mandatory to get a police verification before appointing security guard or any care takers in the schools.