The state government has approved the installation of CCTV cameras in more than 320 Samagra Shiksha hostels for students from Classes 6 to 12 across Gujarat. At least 260 of the beneficiary hostels under the project are girls’ hostels, officials said.
The Education Department’s decision comes about eight months after the Office of the Director of Primary Education submitted a proposal for the project, estimated to cost around ₹31.58 crore. The decision covers hostels attached to government and grant-in-aid schools under Samagra Shiksha that previously did not have CCTV surveillance.
The proposal, originally submitted in November last year, was incorporated into the current year’s budget, paving the way for statewide implementation through the latest government resolution.
Among the more than 320 hostels covered under the project, 265 are Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya hostels, including newly established facilities. The scheme also includes 13 PM Janman hostels approved in recent years, as well as DA-JJUA hostels established in tribal areas under a new Education Department initiative introduced over the past two years.
Under the government resolution, each hostel will be equipped with 10 to 15 CCTV cameras based on its requirements. District project offices have been directed to identify all eligible boys’ and girls’ hostel buildings and oversee the installations.
The CCTV systems must be capable of storing footage for a minimum of 30 days.
The resolution states that if the sanctioned funds remain unspent for two consecutive years, the administrative approval for the project will automatically stand cancelled.
