Women security staff to be deployed in govt shelters, says minister Geetha Jeevan

CHENNAI: To tighten the security in service homes run by both the government and non-profit organisations in the state, the Minister of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment P Geetha Jeevan has announced that women security guards will be employed in all homes across the State.

This decision comes after the arrest of a private agency security guard for an alleged attempt to sexually assault a 13-year-old girl at a government-run shelter in Chitlapakkam.

Addressing the media, the minister said, “Instead of male security guards, we will be employing female security staff in all service homes run by both the government and non-profit organisations in the State.”

The Department of School Education will be consulted concerning the deployment of women security staff in schools, especially state-run schools, the minister said.

The minister added that the director of the Child Welfare and Special Services Department will soon roll out notifications for all service homes to commence recruitment of women security guards.

Speaking about the arrest of the guard, she stated that the district social welfare officer conducted necessary inquiries at the Chtilapakkam shelter, where 130 women are residing.

“During the inquiry, no women in the home gave a negative report about the security guard in question. However, we have still proceeded with necessary action as this is the first instance of such crime reported from the government shelter to date,” the minister added.

An action has also been taken on the service home warden who was away from work without proper intimation.

Meanwhile, in connection with the above case, the Minister for Natural Resources S Regupathy noted, “Despite knowing this is the first instance and no other women from the service home has reported assault by the man, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami is politicising the incident.”

The minister further went on to call Edappadi a slave of Delhi and added, “Whenever Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi are in danger, Edappadi tries to create distractions by spreading false accusations.”