The state government has approved the
installation of CCTV cameras in more than 320 Samagra Shiksha hostels for
students from Classes 6 to 12 across Gujarat. At least 260 of the beneficiary
hostels under the project are girls’ hostels, officials said.
The Education Department’s decision comes about
eight months after the Office of the Director of Primary Education submitted a
proposal for the project, estimated to cost around ₹31.58 crore. The decision
covers hostels attached to government and grant-in-aid schools under Samagra
Shiksha that previously did not have CCTV surveillance.
The proposal, originally submitted in November
last year, was incorporated into the current year’s budget, paving the way for
statewide implementation through the latest government resolution.
Among the more than 320 hostels covered under
the project, 265 are Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya hostels, including newly
established facilities. The scheme also includes 13 PM Janman hostels approved
in recent years, as well as DA-JJUA hostels established in tribal areas under a
new Education Department initiative introduced over the past two years.
Under the government resolution, each hostel
will be equipped with 10 to 15 CCTV cameras based on its requirements. District
project offices have been directed to identify all eligible boys’ and girls’
hostel buildings and oversee the installations.
The CCTV systems must be capable of storing
footage for a minimum of 30 days.
The resolution states that if the sanctioned funds remain unspent for two
consecutive years, the administrative approval for the project will
automatically stand cancelled.