Nagpur, Dec 9 (IANS) Maharashtra minister of women and child welfare Aditi Tatkare on Tuesday told the state council that the government is working sensitively to prevent girls and women from running away from reform homes.

Priority is being given to take necessary measures for this. She was responding to a question by BJP legislator Chitra Wagh regarding the escape of girls due to lapses in the security and management of women and children’s reform hostels in Maharashtra.

Minister Tatkare said that the safety of inmates of such hostels has been given a priority. “Currently, the rate of escape of children from reform homes is 0.29 per cent and that of women is three per cent. Special efforts will be made to bring the rate of escape from reform homes to zero per cent. For this, instructions have been given to provide proper training to the employees filled through external mechanisms. Action will be taken within a month to fill the posts,” she added.

Giving more information about the incident at Shanti Sadan hostel in Ulhasnagar, Minister Tatkare said that a total of 12 women were admitted to the hostel and ran away. “Out of them, three were from Bangladesh, one from Bihar, one from Gujarat, one from West Bengal and six from Maharashtra. Although the hostel has a capacity of 100, only 21 women were living there at that time. One security guard and one female police officer were deployed in the security arrangements. According to the FIR, the admitted women beat up both the security personnel, locked them and escaped by crossing a six-foot high wall. This entire incident can be seen in the CCTV,” she added.

Of the 12 women who escaped, 11 were rescued from various places in the Kalyan-Dombivli area and admitted to the hostel under the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA). One woman was admitted from the Thane area. All the women were between the ages of 19 and 50.

“A proposal to increase the height of the wall to increase the security in the hostel in Ulhasnagar has been sent to the District Planning Committee. A detailed meeting will be held regarding the security, facilities and staff recruitment in the hostel. Also, necessary measures will be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again. There are 12 sanctioned posts in the hostel, seven of which are filled and five are vacant. Four persons appointed through external mechanisms are working,” said Minister Tatkare.

She further announced that the department has requested for the deployment of more police force for security arrangements.

–IANS

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