Safety shiver in tech town

A sudden surge in crime has caught the sector that never sleeps napping when it comes to security.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s showpiece tech township has expanded from Sector V to New Town with little thought to safety, turning workers into soft targets, 24/7, for gangs on the prowl on the poorly lit streets.

Here's a look at the security problems that plague tech town, the solutions that officials claim to be implementing in the wake of Sandipan Das’s abduction for ransom, and suggestions for what more needs to be done.

Dark disaster

The Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority claims to have illuminated Sector V with almost 600 sodium-vapour lamps. But drive down after dusk and chances are that you will find the stretch along Nicco Park, the arteries within Sector V, and the road between Wipro and College More unlit. “There are no street lights in most places. In some areas, the lights are so dim that you can barely see the road,” complains Dwaipayan Roy, a Sector V employee.

The New Town IT zone is worse with employees stepping out at night being forced to walk through dark stretches to reach the taxi or bus stand.

What is being done: A survey is underway to identify stretches that need additional lighting; trees that block lights to be trimmed.

What is needed: A maintenance plan for street lights that go on the blink within months of being installed.

Poor policing

Ankit Jaiswal, a BPO employee, doesn’t remember the last time he saw a police car patrolling Sector V. “We bank on luck to reach home without being mugged,” he says.

If police presence in Sector V is thin, they are nowhere to be seen in New Town.

What is being done: The Sector V outpost was upgraded to a police station on Sunday with 73 policemen. According to police officers, the increase in strength from 17 cops to 73 is a big step forward for security in Sector V. New Town could also get its second police station later this year.

“Personnel deployed in these stations will be trained to handle white-collar and cyber crime,” promised state director-general of police Bhupinder Singh.

Sector V and New Town are set to get 82 additional CCTVs by June. The budget for the project is Rs 2.32 crore. Footage will be stored for 30 days.

What is needed: CCTVs with night vision and a control room that monitors footage round the clock.

Taxi trouble

Capgemini executive Sandipan Das thinks he was abducted because he boarded the “wrong taxi”. But those who work in tech town insist that there are more “wrong taxis” around than reliable ones. “The lack of a proper transport system means shuttle taxis are our only option on most evenings. I hail a cab with a quick prayer,” says systems engineer Sonali Ghosh.

New Town now has several bus stops but hardly a vehicle passes by. “Private operators do not want to ply here because passenger volume is low,” says a transport official.

What is being doing: All taxis operating in the area are to be “under CCTV surveillance” Three taxi booths are set to come up in Sector V and a couple more in New Town.

What is needed: Pre-paid taxis; a roving police team exclusively to keep an eye on shuttle taxis operating here.

Crime cauldron

The flurry of construction activity has fuelled the growth of unauthorised settlements that harbour petty criminals from nearby areas like Jyangra, Mahisbathan, Nayapatti and Sukantanagar.

The myth that everyone employed in the sunshine sector is highly paid — some BPO staffers don’t earn more than Rs. 7,500 per month — is said to be another reason for criminals focusing on the area. “Most employees carry expensive cellphones and laptops, irrespective of how much he or she earns,” says the floor manager of a New Town BPO.

What is being done: All illegal shacks, including eateries, along Sector V-New Town are to be demolished soon. Officers also promise to crack down on illegal parking.

What is needed: A strict deadline for eviction; authorised parking lots.


Tamaghna Banerjee, The Telegraph