Mumbai: Govt approves disbursement of Rs 46 cr funds for CCTV surveillance project and sensitisation training under women safety initiative

In a bid to give a boost to the women safety and security measures in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government has given approval for disbursement funds of Rs 46.65 crores for Mumbai CCTV Surveillance Project under Surveillance Components and Sensitisation Training and Capacity Building under Mumbai City Women's Security Initiative Scheme (Nirbhaya).

According to the state government, the implementation of said central and state government joint initiative was given approval in January 2019. Under the said scheme, the central government had approved Rs 252 crore funds and the contribution of the central and state government was in a 60:40 ratio.

"A High Power Committee was formed in January this year, to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative. The said committee had proposed for sanctioning of Rs 38.65 crore for Surveillance Components under the Mumbai CCTV Surveillance Project and Rs 8 crore for the Sensitization Training and Capacity Building under the Nirbhaya initiative. The said training will be imparted at the Maharashtra Police Academy in Nashik. The amount sanctioned also has the central government's share," said a state home department official.

In January this year, the state government had given approval for disbursement of Rs 31.87 crore for purchase of Public Address System, Emergency Vehicle Response System and IT equipment under the said initiative.

"Under the said scheme, administrative approval was given in May last year, to spend Rs 147.48 crore for the purchase of machinery and equipment. In September, the Mumbai Police Commissioner had given proposal to the state government to purchase four kinds of machinery and equipment that would cost around Rs 32.84 crore," said the official, adding that, "Except the purchasing of Forensic Evidence Collection System, which is yet to be approved by the central government, the remaining three other purchases - Public Address System, Emergency Vehicle Response System and IT equipment worth Rs 31,87 crore have been approved."

In January, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil hadlaunched 91 Nirbhaya Squads in Mumbai. It is a new division started by the Mumbai Police to check incidents of eve-teasing and harassment of women in the city. These squads consist of specially trained female and male officers and they will be stationed across Mumbai 24x7. On January 26, Mumbai police had inaugurated 145 Nirbhaya Squad vehicles as well.