Education minister Bratya Basu said on Thursday his department has sanctioned funds for Jadavpur University to install CCTV cameras at hostel and campus gates following the death of a first-year student.
The university has decided to install CCTV cameras at the gates of the main hostel and the girls’ hostel as well as the campuses in Jadavpur and Salt Lake.
JU registrar Snehamanju Basu had written to the education department saying the company that would put up the cameras — Webel — had asked for Rs 37.05 lakh.
“Universities have sought funds from the department for the installation of CCTV cameras. In the initial phase, we have sanctioned funds for Jadavpur University. They are holding discussions with Webel,” Basu told reporters at a programme in Salt Lake.
An official of the education department said: “We have sanctioned the Rs 37.05 lakh that Jadavpur University had asked for to set up the CCTV cameras.”
Representatives of the company met the JU registrar on Thursday afternoon to discuss about the project, university officials said.
The police officers investigating the death of the first-year JU student had asked
for CCTV footage of the main hostel, where he stayed. The authorities could not provide any because there were no CCTV cameras on the premises.
The student had allegedly been ragged and thrown from a second-floor balcony of the main hostel on the night of August 9. He died early next morning.
A JU official said the government’s decision to sanction funds was crucial as the students’ union of the engineering and technology faculty told JU’s officiating vice-
chancellor Buddhadab Sau on Tuesday that they were opposed to “splurging of money” in the name of installation of CCTV cameras and hiring of ex-servicemen as security personnel for the hostels at a time “the university is reeling under funds
crunch”.
The students have also said they would “oppose any surveillance measure” that intends to hamper the free atmosphere and students’ movement on the campus.
“An effort is underway to prevent the installation of CCTV cameras by raising the issue of funds crunch. The same students who are so worried about funds crunch will resort to protests if the university decides to moderately raise fees, which have remained static since 2000 and are among the lowest in the country. Seen in this context, the sanctioning of the funds will remove a stumbling block,” he said.
Minister Basu had on August 21 said on the Assembly premises that it was not clear to him why JU was unwilling to install CCTV cameras, disregarding a directive of the Supreme Court.
