New Delhi [India], September 30 (ANI): Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Wednesday chaired a meeting with Principals of Women's Colleges of the University of Delhi along with VC (DU) and senior officials including Special CP, Jt. CsP, DCsP, Secretary-cum-Commissioner (Transport), Addl. Commissioner (MCD) and Engineer-in-Chief (PWD), to review the safety and security of students in and around college campuses.
As per the release, the colleges represented today included LSR, Lady Irwin, Miranda House, Daulat Ram, Jesus & Mary, Laxmibai, Mata Sundri, Gargi, Indraprastha and Janki Devi College.
Chaired a meeting with Principals of key DU Women’s Colleges, the VC, @DelhiPolice and civic agencies to strengthen student safety on and around campuses.
Directed time-bound action on enhanced patrolling, better lighting, CCTV coverage, safer mobility, emergency response and… pic.twitter.com/LsYkH8dY6z
At the outset, the LG asked the Principals, Deans and VC of DU to list their issues, and they raised a range of pressing safety concerns. The most common concerns outlined by the Principals and others entail the menace of e-rickshaws, autos and taxis that forcibly solicit passengers, apart from blocking entrances of colleges; lack of safe last-mile connectivity; encroached footpaths and pathways, unregulated vending, dark spots and lack of sufficient illumination, unsafe parks near campuses, public toilets near campuses, obscene flashing, requirement of more Pink Booths and patrolling, amongst others.
On infrastructure, the LG directed the PWD/MCD to repair street lights and install high mast lights to eliminate dark spots on approach roads used by students and to ensure adequate lighting and CCTV coverage at bus stops and other public stretches, the release said.
He directed that objectionable and inappropriate graffiti on college exterior walls be removed and that overgrown vegetation around campuses be cleared to improve visibility.
On policing, the LG directed enhanced patrolling, PCR deployment and picket checking around colleges, metro stations and isolated stretches, particularly during morning and evening hours, along with the installation of Pink Booths staffed by trained personnel.
He directed the deployment of additional police personnel near college premises and areas with high footfall of women and students, the nomination of a dedicated Nodal Police Officer for each college for regular coordination and prompt action on complaints relating to eve-teasing, obscene flashing and other safety concerns, backed by plainclothes surveillance and an emergency response mechanism. He directed that a safety audit of areas around educational institutions be conducted and that stationary buses parked near colleges, which create obstructed and isolated stretches, be removed, the release said.
The LG directed the MCD to remove unauthorised encroachments and street vendors around colleges, remove men's public washrooms and unauthorised taxi stands adjoining college boundary walls and relocate MCD Dhalaos that attract ragpickers and unauthorised persons near campuses.
He directed that parks near college premises frequently occupied by persons engaged in drinking and substance abuse be secured and that footpaths around colleges be kept safe and free from obstruction by vendors and vehicles.
On transport, the LG directed enhanced connectivity from colleges to metro stations, including shuttle services during evening hours and the provision of U-Special buses and Metro Feeder buses, along with regulation of e-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws through dedicated pick-up and drop-off points and a clear mechanism for reporting driver misconduct.
He directed regular self-defence programmes, gender sensitisation workshops, and awareness campaigns for students to be conducted jointly by the Police and WCD.
The LG directed Delhi University and the Higher Education Department to examine the use of government accommodation as hostels and to set up an Inter-College Women Safety Committee involving north and south campus colleges to share common concerns and coordinate with the concerned agencies. He directed the development of a student safety application featuring emergency alerts, GPS-based location sharing, and real-time reporting of safety concerns, along with uninterrupted mobile network connectivity across college localities, the release said.
Today’s meeting follows concerted efforts by the LG aimed at direct engagement with young women across the Capital over the past few days. In an impromptu interaction with students of Daulat Ram College on campus, the LG had discussed campus safety and the daily concerns of young women in Delhi, noting that direct feedback from students offers an important ground reality and that ensuring safe transit corridors, well-lit surroundings and a secure environment around educational hubs remains a top priority.
In a similar impromptu visit to Indraprastha College, the LG had interacted with students to hear their concerns and expectations on women's safety, telling them that Delhi must be a city where every woman and girl can live, learn, work and move freely, without fear.
The LG had also, on Friday (September 25), conducted a surprise inspection of Bonta Park in the Northern Ridge, near Delhi University, along with the Chief Secretary and DCP (North), to assess on-ground security, lighting and the elimination of dark spots along walkways, directing that every public recreational space in the Capital be kept well-lit, secure and regularly patrolled, the release said. (ANI)
