Women and child welfare minister Varsha Gaikwad wrote letters to home minister R.R. Patil and school education minister Rajendra Darda on Tuesday, voicing her concern over the increase in crime against women. Alongside suggesting some precautionary measures, she has demanded that helplines and help centres in schools be set up. In her letter to both the ministers, she has said that different surveys have proven that crime against girls under 18 years of age has increased drastically, due to which young children are losing their infancy. To create a safe atmosphere for girls, we need to take some precautionary steps, she wrote. In her suggestion to the school minister, she has demanded that helplines and help centres be started in schools. She also wants the subject of child safety to be included in the school curriculum. The women and child welfare minister even suggested that if possible, all school buses must have women employees and they should be well trained to handle situations if they arise. On the other hand, she has asked the home minister to assign responsibility of community committee to a deputy commissioner of police (DCP) level officer. She is of the opinion that a concerned DCP should meet with child development officers on a regular basis and every police station or police beat must have notice boards that highlight the dos and donts about girls’ safety. She added that the cellphone number of the concerned police officer to be contacted in such cases should be listed and the police officers should be instructed to take serious cognisance of complaints of crime against girls. Ms Gaikwad also called for the immediate disposal of all such complaints with the help of NGOs and community committee.
