Mumbai News: BMC's ₹100 Crore Women Safety App Stalled Due To Fund Crunch, May Be Shelved

Mumbai: In February last year, the BMC had announced plans to develop a mobile app aimed at helping women seek assistance in cases of street sexual harassment and molestation. However, the project has seen no progress since its announcement and, according to sources, is now likely to be shelved.

While presenting budget for the year 2024-25, the then municipal commissioner I.S. Chahal had announced an app for women safety. The special app was planned to be created by the BMC's planning and Information Technology (IT) department.

The app was intended to be developed with the involvement of the police, home guards, and social organisations, providing emergency assistance to women in distress.

Through the app, women would be able to seek immediate help from the municipal corporation, police, or other concerned authorities. To ensure timely response, a dedicated control room was also planned to register complaints and coordinate with relevant agencies. However, the project had still not move forward.

The BMC had earmarked Rs. 100 crore under its gender budget, a portion of which was intended to fund the proposed women’s safety app. However, the project has hit a roadblock due to the non-disbursement of funds, said civic sources. Officials from the civic IT department revealed that they have not yet received any funding, making it difficult to proceed with the development of the app.

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"We haven’t received any funds so far, which has made it difficult to proceed with the app," said a civic official. "Also, since the Mumbai Police already operates a women’s helpline, there’s confusion about what added value the BMC’s app would bring," he added.