The five-member committee constituted by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation to investigate the barbaric rape of a seven-year-old girl in a municipal school submitted its interim report on Tuesday. The report has suggested measures for improvement and strengthening of the security and safety of students by directing all municipal schools to follow a 12-point directive.
Municipal Commissioner P. K. Gupta has said the suggestions proposed by the committee seem to be effective from the safety point of view and action will be initiated to procure CCTV cameras. The police will be consulted in regard to the points of installation and technical specifications, he said. Mr. Gupta also directed schools to fill vacant posts of school attendants and chowkidars at the earliest and said that civil defence personnel will be engaged for the time being.
“In case there is more than one gate all other gates (except the main gate) should be kept closed and the key of the same should be readily available in the school premises with principal for any emergency,” states one of the points of the report. In addition, class teachers will be held accountable for the safety and security of students of their respective classes during recess and “under no circumstance any child will be allowed to leave the school premises without approval of the principal and the child’s custody shall be properly handed over to the parents.”
Mr. Gupta said that schools will have higher boundary walls or barbed wire fencing and any room in the building which is not put to use will be kept locked. The report also calls for higher scrutiny of visitors from outside including those who come in to the premises to provide midday meals. “At the entry gate a register shall be maintained wherein details of all the visitors will be entered along with their phone number and address.”
The directive also puts emphasis on the role of school inspectors, additional directors and directors of education who are asked to inspect schools on a rotational basis. The school principals are also directed to liaison with the local police to step up police vigil of the area. Mr. Gupta said that the final report will be submitted in due course of time.
