Women's safety: Centre asks 8 metros to identify gaps,seek aid

The Centre today asked authorities from eight metro cities to conduct a study to examine the gaps in the safety for women and seek aid under the Nirbhaya Fund, created in the aftermath of the gruesome gangrape of a paramedical student in Delhi.
The ministries of women and child development (WCD) and home affairs convened a meeting with police commissioners and municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.
"We have asked these cities to conduct a study to examine gaps in the area of women's security and how that gap can be filled up. Following this, they can come to the Centre with projects for support under Nirbhaya fund," a WCD ministry spokesperson said.

He said that once the funds are approved for these metros, they will also have to carry out a survey on the impact of the schemes and projects implemented by them.
Discussions were also held with the authorities on the use of CCTVs, panic buttons and tracking of public transport, taxis or autos, among other issues.
The Nirbhaya Fund was created with the aim to improve safety for women in 2013 in the aftermath of the gruesome gangrape of a paramedical student in Delhi.
A sum of Rs 3,100 crore has been set aside for it between 2013 and 2017.