Safe city project

In news 

Recently, an IPS officer has come under the scanner for trying to access classified information on the tendering process related to Nirbhaya Safe City Project in Bengaluru

What is a safe city project?

• It is a mission mode initiative of MHA under the Nirbhaya Funds scheme for safety of women
• The proposal for the Safe City Project, which has been in the thick of a controversy of late, was made by the police in 2013. But it was approved by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs only in 2018.
• The Safe City project aims to create a safe, secure and empowering environment for women in public places, to enable them to pursue all opportunities without the threat of gender-based violence and/or harassment. 
• It also aims to prevent and curb all forms of crimes against women and girl children in public places by providing safer urban infrastructure and efficient access to law enforcement agencies. 
• It includes installation of CCTV cameras, surveillance systems, panic buttons and GIS mapping of crimes in the city.
• The cost of the projects is shared between the Central Government and the concerned States in 60:40 ratio. The Safe City Project in Delhi is fully funded by the Central Government.

Which cities have been selected for the project?

• Eight cities have been identified for implementation of this project in the first phase, under the Nirbhaya Fund, at an estimated cost of Rs.2919.55 crore. 
• These are Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow.