Panjab University safety audit hits rough weather

Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 8

It’s been a month since the agonising account of a reporter’s lonesome 15-minute scuffle, in defence of a molestation attack, with an unknown man at the PU Botanical Garden raked up a storm over the campus security. It’s been a month since the slow-moving machinery of the university failed to match the tall claims, like raising the height of the wall, installing cameras and floodlights, it made to buffer the blows of the devastatingly fragile moral standards of sexual predators. It’s been a month since the scare of abandoned places stands in the way of the constitutional right to the freedom of movement for PU residents and students.

A six-member committee, constituted by the Vice-Chancellor after the issue was addressed in the Senate meeting, deliberated on conducting a ‘safety audit’ of the campus on December 17. Many a suggestion was tabled, from short-term solutions to long-term strategies. However, only the safety audit of Sector 14 has been done so far, the report of which will be submitted sometime this week, said Pam Rajput, one of the committee members.

Under Rajput, a sub-committee was made to survey the campuses of the PU, including Sector 25 (popular as South Campus) and Sector 14, the university’s North Campus. Blaming ‘terrible’ weather, Rajput shared, “We have only been able to go and survey the Sector 14 campus so far. It’s been raining, most of the days. At night, it gets foggy, so we have still not done the night-time safety audit of the North Campus.” She added, “Also, the safety audit of the South Campus hasn’t been done. We plan to go ahead with it this week and prepare the report.”

Rajput shared that the survey team had already identified the unsafe and volatile spots on the North Campus. “To keep a check on these areas, we will recommend installation of floodlights and cameras. Also, security is a big problem. Day and night patrolling is the need of the hour at such areas,” she said.

Chairperson of the committee and PU Registrar Prof Karamjeet Singh informed that the university was taking a little longer because the process of identifying the spots and then implementing the remedial steps involved time and dexterity. “We do not want to miss out on any dangerous area. It may take us a little time, but the survey will have to be done properly. Also, we are in the process of raising the height of the garden’s boundary wall. The work on it will be started in a couple of days,” he said.

As per the minutes of the committee’s previous meeting, an ‘immediate action plan’ called for the provision for a higher wall, installing cameras and ensuring proper lighting on the campus to avoid any such incident in future. The minutes also listed a ‘long term action plan’, which involved a proper safety survey through a questionnaire sent to PU visitors, faculty, residents and students.

New employments on the cards?

As per the PU Board of Finance’s 2020-21 budget estimates, which have been approved by the Senate, the top governing body of the university, a sum of Rs 6.86 crore has been earmarked for filling 228 posts of security guard besides recruiting a Chief Security Officer, 12 gunmen, five security officers and six assistant security officers. Also, there is a provision of Rs 4.38 crore for security services on contract basis or outsourcing. Sources said the PU had not recruited a female security officer even though there were 14 female security guards in the university. There’s one sanctioned post of female security officer.

Of previous suggestions

In view of the 2018 sexual harassment incident that took place at the Botanical Garden, the PU Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) had made some recommendations, but in vain. The PUCASH had recommended that a wall be constructed in front of the garden or the hedge bordering the garden be raised to keep trespassers at bay. Visitors’ entry/exit time be recorded at the gate and the security be strengthened at the garden. However, the PU did not implement any of these recommendations.