Over 250 City areas identified vulnerable

More than 250 areas near entertainment hubs and prominent eateries in city frequented by women, have been identified as vulnerable, prompting the Union Home Ministry to ask the Delhi Police to intensify patrolling in such places.

Union Home Secretary L C Goyal asked Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi to step up security measures to ensure safety of women at a high-level review meeting held here recently. As part of the security measures, the Home Ministry also asked the city police to ensure illumination of all dark spots and installation of CCTV at parking lots, shopping malls and other public places at the earliest.

Sources said civic agencies have also been sensitised for installing CCTV cameras in surface and multi-level parking areas and market places in their respective jurisdiction.

A Business Area Watch Scheme (BASW) has also been initiated as a community initiative to spread CCTV coverage in the capital. The city police will act as a facilitator of the scheme and community will fund the installation, sources said, adding that this scheme has already been launched at Greater Kailash, Dariba Kalan and Civil Lines.

Another initiative, sources said, was the issuance of photo identity cards to crew of Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operated in Delhi by the Transport Department. Schools have been asked to maintain data regarding crew of private vehicle operators who ferry school children, they said.

On the measures taken to ensure women’s safety, the Delhi Police told the meeting that its special unit for Women and Children has, till date, conducted 952 self-defence training programmes for women and girls and about 1,15,947 have benefited from these programmes.