DTC seeks Rs 103 cr from 'Nirbhaya Fund' for CCTVs in buses

New Delhi, Dec 16: Aiming at clearing financial hurdles in its bid to enhance women's security in buses, the Delhi Transport Corporation has sought Rs 103 crore from the Centre's 'Nirbhaya Fund' to install CCTV cameras in its entire fleet.

"DTC is already facing financial problems to operate the buses. We have already installed CCTV cameras in 200 buses in our pilot project under which three CCTVs have been placed in each bus. We now want CCTV cameras to be installed in our entire fleet in view of women safety," a senior official of the DTC said.

DTC's Chairman and Managing Director, Debashree Mukherjee has sent a proposal to the transport commissioner seeking the release of Rs 103.25 crore from the Fund for the installation of CCTV cameras in the entire DTC fleet.

The corporation had recently installed closed-circuit television cameras in 200 of its buses, as part of a pilot project to enhance security especially for women passengers.

DTC spokesperson R S Minhas confirmed that the DTC has sent such a proposal to the transport commissioner and sought this amount from the government. In her letter to Delhi government, Mukherjee said that the then Union Finance Minister P Chidmabaram had announced Rs 1000 crore for 'Nirbhaya Fund' last year.

"DTC has urged Delhi government to take up this matter before the Central government and help release Rs 103.25 crore from 'Nirbhaya Fund' so that the corporation could not face financial problems in enhancing safety measures for women commuters in corporation's buses," the official said.

In the aftermath of the December 16 gangrape case, DTC had also started providing two homeguards in buses operating on night services for security purposes. On this day, exactly two years ago, a 23-year-old physiotherapist student was brutally gangraped in a moving bus, sparking a massive public outrage that made the government sit up and take notice.

PTI