Nagpur: Senior Congress MLC, Arch. Anant Gadgil on Wednesday accused the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – Shiv Sena led government of not being serious about womens safety and security issues. Taking part in the debate in the Legislative Council on incidents of rising crimes against women, Gadgil stated that during the budget session in March 2014, he and other legislators had demanded that a law be enacted and installation of CCTv cameras and glass doors for Elevators in residential buildings be made mandatory. However, the then government paid lip-service to his proposal.
The senior Congress legislator stated that he had even submitted a memorandum to this effect to Maharashtra State Womens Rights Commission, chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar. Gadgil added that however the womens body chief too did not take the matter seriously. Gadgil stated that he had given proofs of assurances given by the then minister Chandrakant Patil in the house.
Gadgil stated that while elevators in commercial buildings do have CCTv cameras and glass door fittings, the elevators in residential buildings have steel or iron door fittings and no CCTv cameras. He said that because of no CCTv cameras and iron or steel doors in residential building elevators, there have been cases of molestation and other atrocities committed on women and children behind opaque close doors.
He added that because of these safety and security issues of women and children in elevators in residential buildings it is necessary that a law is enacted to make it mandatory to have elevators in residential buildings fitted with CCTv cameras and glass doors. However, nothing happened on the demand which is nothing but height of insensitivity on the part of the previous BJP-Sena government.
