NASHIK: Eve-teasing and harassment may no longer be reasons for which girl students drop out of educational institutions in the rural areas of the district as the schools and colleges will soon have complaint boxes where the students can drop in a note regarding any harassment faced by them in the premises or on the way to their institutes.Arti Singh, who recently took charge as the Superintendent of Police (SP), Nashik rural, has decided to start the initiative taking into account the possibility of eve teasing and harassment of school and college-going girls in the hands of anti-social elements.Singh said, “The complaint boxes will be set up in the schools and colleges very soon. The aim is to provide a safe and secure atmosphere for the school and college-going girls in the rural areas of the district. The aggrieved student can also contact the rural police’s whatsapp number for registering any complaint.” The Damini squad of the rural police will also be making regular rounds at schools and colleges to check cases of eve teasing, she added.Cases of eve-teasing and harassment are reported from both urban and rural areas. However, in rural areas, girls have to travel long distances to reach their schools and colleges. Girl students either walk, ride or use public and private transport to reach their educational institutes. Singh said that they were taking all possible measures to prevent harassment of girl students and provide them with a safe and secure atmosphere.She said that the compliant boxes could be opened by the headmasters, head mistresses or principals of the respective educational institutes and accordingly decide the neccesary course of action. If the problems are serious, it should be reported to the police for strict action.Officials of the school and colleges can call the police if they wish to open the complaint box in front of the latter.Officials from the rural police said that cases of eve teasing were not reported from the rural parts of the district, which at times took a serious form. The Damini Pathak of the rural police would ensure that they visit important schools and colleges on a daily basis so that girls feel secure. The aggrieved girl students can also speak to the police if they have to report about any misbehaviour with them or their friends by anti-social elements in the area.

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