Safety net installed inside Mantralaya to curb suicide attempts

In the backdrop of repeated suicide attempts and multiple deaths, Maharashtra government on Monday spread a safety net in its headquarters to prevent any more such fatal bids.

The safety net has come up on the second floor of the Mantralaya’s main lobby, from where a murder convict on parole had jumped to death last Thursday. The safety net is similar to the one seen at construction sites of skyscrapers or at circus performances.

The net is the first among various security options being contemplated at the highest levels to prevent suicide attempts inside the high-security zone. Apart from the net, some windows may be permanently shut and grills may come up at certain places.

The daily inflow of visitors may also be curbed by putting up a special desk outside the main building for people wanting casual access only to submit letters, memoranda or such work, without needing to actually meet ministers or bureaucrats.

In the past few weeks, the government was rocked by at least three suicide attempts in which two persons lost their lives.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Council, Dhananjay Munde of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), grabbed the opportunity to poke fun at the government initiative by asking whether “Mantralaya has now become a circus ground”.

“It’s a good initiative, but the government should take preventive measures to eradicate the root cause of suicide attempts in Mantralaya,” Munde said in a backhanded compliment.

The incidents came despite stringent security and screening measures implemented at all the entry points in Mantralaya.