Govt schools to get CCTVs by March 31
₹11.3 CRORE RELEASED All 19,000 schools to be covered; scheme to be funded jointly by the Centre and state on 60:40 basis
BATHINDA: Starting April, all government schools in the state will get circuit television (CCTV) cameras, authorities said on Wednesday. The move is aimed at ensuring safe and secure campuses for students as well as teachers. As per sources, a sum of ₹ 11.35 crore has been released to district education officers (DEOs) across the state.
The project is going to cover all of 19,000 government schools in Punjab, under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, and is being funded jointly by the Centre and state on 60:40 basis.
The initiative will play an important role in fixing accountability of teachers and making school premises safe and secure for students. However, there is no proposal to install CCTV cameras in classrooms or staff rooms, sources said.
State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) assistant director Maninder Singh Sarkaria told HT that in the first phase, schools in farflung villages near the India-Pakistan border, Kandi area and educationally backward blocks will be equipped with cameras.
“DEOs have been instructed to prepare a list of other top priority schools, including girls and co-educational institutes, for installation of cameras. Their number will depend on the student strength of the school. Field teams are expected to submit a detailed report of identified schools by next week. We will ensure that CCTV cameras are in place by March 31,” said Sarkaria, a nodal officer.
He said ₹52.29 lakh will be used for elementary schools and ₹59.24 lakh in secondary schools.
“These cameras will be positioned at entrance gates, near washrooms, corridors and secluded corners. Teachers will also be subjected to monitoring on campuses,” said Sarkaria.