Public place safety audit report suggests improvements to street lights and anganwadi kendras in Dasarahalli and Hebbal constituencies

The audit was conducted at 298 public places and 29 streets in 12 BBMP wards in Dasarahalli and in eight BBMP wards in Hebbal

Jija Harisingh, former DGP; Rahul Ghoke, Senior vice-president and Business Unit Leader, CGI; Anandagundu Rao, B.PAC member; Chitra Talwar, B.SAFE programme head, B.PAC; and Mimi Parthasarathy, B.PAC member, at the release of B.SAFE Constituency public place safety audit report in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

A recent public place safety audit conducted by the Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) has shown that around 54% of street lights in Dasarahalli constituency and 38% of them in Hebbal constituency are in poor condition or unlit. The report stresses on the need to fix them as soon as possible.

The B.SAFE Constituency programme is an initiative of B.PAC which aims to provide empowered and safe constituencies for women through public safety audits, community awareness, action plans, and sustained advocacy. In one such audit, 20 ambassadors (12 from Dasarahalli and eight from Hebbal) used the B.SAFE Constituency mobile application developed by CGI, a corporate social responsibility partner for the audit, to undertake the public place safety audit.

The audit analysis was conducted at 298 public places and 29 streets in 12 Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) wards in Dasarahalli and eight BBMP wards in Hebbal in June and July. Six types of public places that women access regularly — 76 anganwadi kendras, 92 bus stops, 54 parks, 10 PHCs, seven police stations, and 35 public toilets — were considered for the audit apart from streets.  

Key findings

Dasarahalli constituency

54% of audited streets and public places need to be well lit 

41 bus stops need basic facilities 

77% of parks need security guards and 96% of parks need CCTV cameras 

Hebbal constituency

38% of audited streets and public places need to be well lit 

97% bus stops need passenger information system 

73% of parks need security guards and 83% of parks need CCTV cameras 

Making bus stops more accessible with seating areas and route maps, equipping parks with security guards and CCTV cameras to enhance safety, and keeping public toilets open throughout the day while also providing basic facilities such as sanitary pads were listed out as priorities by the audit in both constituencies.

Interestingly, in Dasarahalli constituency, the report has identified that 58% anganwadi kendras can potentially expand as full-day care centres as more than 46% of these kendras have more than 20 working mothers. In Hebbal, the report has suggested that improvements in anganwadi kendras are required. “These changes will help Dasarahalli and Hebbal emerge as a model constituency on safety and empowerment of women,” the report said. 

Listing the positives in both constituencies, the report said, “All the audited seven police stations covering the two Assembly constituencies have dedicated women’s desks, separate waiting areas for women, and CCTV cameras are installed and are in working condition.” It also noted that all the 10 audited PHCs were providing free medicines to patients.

Jija Madhavan Harisingh, retired IPS officer and former DGP who was present during the release of the report on Saturday, said, “During my days in service, Bengaluru was going through a phase of attacks on women and I wish we had such an initiative like B.SAFE Constituency then as it would have helped even the police to curb such attacks but I am glad it is happening now. I hope this initiative is implemented across the city and all stakeholders join hand to make this a success.”