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PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Friday disagreed that installation of CCTV cameras in the school would solve the issues of crime against girl students, claiming that parents should be more watchful and educate their children about possible dangers.
He agreed to the demand for funding construction of compound walls in schools.
Parrikar told the State Legislative Assembly that the Vasco incident could have been averted if the teachers were alert and had escorted the man out of the school, immediately when he was spotted loitering around.
The chief minister was responding to a private member’s resolution tabled by Congress legislators – Pratapsing Rane, Digambar Kamat and Aleixo Reginald Lourenco, said the accused in Vasco rape case was noticed by teachers three times, including once when he was brought before the headmistress.
He was asked to leave the premises casually, but actually he should have been escorted out of the main gate, Parrikar said, adding that the casual behaviour resulted in the rape.
The chief minister said that CCTV cameras are not a solution in such cases. “You cannot fit CCTV cameras inside the toilet and so many such incidents happen in toilet,” he said, narrating how the thieves systematically avoid CCTV cameras while committing crimes.
Parrikar, who holds the Home portfolio, said that the parents should educate their kids about the possible dangers and teach them dos and don’ts. “Parents are best CCTVs. 70-80 percent cases have a reason,” he said.
Parrikar sought to enhance school security by floating a scheme. “We will have a special scheme redrafted by mid-April granting funds to construct compound walls. We will have a scheme from schools till higher secondary… Money will be immediately released,” he said.
Kamat had stressed the need to install CCTVs all over the schools premises to record movement of every person. The opposition benches also expressed concern over how teachers even outside the campus exploit minor children citing Kanhaiya Naik episode wherein the victim who was allegedly raped in his flat had immolated herself once he was out on bail.
Rane told the House that his school which has about 1,400 students has installed CCTVs even in the laboratories. “We cannot trust anyone. Incidents are happening which we had never thought of,” he commented. “I also have a counselor in the school. Every three months students are given a chance to speak to counselors,” he said.
