Chennai: With Union home ministry sanctioning ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ worth Rs 425.06 crore for public panic button systems to ensure the safety of women and children for Chennai city on Sunday, activists have welcomed the move and demanded the government to implement such system without delay.
According to sources, the transport department is already gearing up to set up such system and under such circumstance, the union ministry has allotted funds. As far as this system is concerned, it will involve stakeholders like police department, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and transport department.
“This system will mainly rope in three departments to executing it properly. Firstly, the transport department should instruct the vehicle owners to install GPS and complete the geo-coding process. Secondly, the police department will play main role in setting up control room,” said an official.
The police department has also a role in identifying hot crime spots and install CCTVs and form all women cops teams, the official added. Finally, GCC should also install LED street lightings in vulnerable areas.
“We are in the process of identifying 500 MTC bus shelters to fix CCTVs under Nirbhaya fund and we will complete such works soon,” said a GCC official.
Meanwhile, activists have urged the state government to apply corrective measures for implementing such system.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Sudha Ramalingam, a noted advocate and an activist, said, “we cannot come to conclusion that Chennai is a crime-free city. However, while compared to other cities, Chennai is far better in terms of number number of crimes being committed against women. Moreover, such system should be in place not only in cities, but also across the country.”
Such move would prevent crimes being faced by women and children, she pointed out. It may be noted that the transport department completed geo-coding process for Chennai and suburbs where it is operating MTC buses.
A top police official, Chennai city, on conditions of anonymity, said that the Centre allotted funds on Sunday. “Since such system involves many procedural things, all the stakeholders will sit and hold talks to implement panic button system,” the officer noted.
