Dist police pull up socks

Sameer Singh
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, December 4

A day after Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced free police help to drop women safely home if they are stuck out between 9 pm and 6 am, district police officials have swung into action.

They said elaborate arrangements would be in place to ensure that the stranded women get the free-drop facility.

The police officials said though they had just received the instructions from the government, they would ensure the implementation of the facility with full effect on an immediate basis.

SSP Nanak Singh said, “After getting the directions, all officials concerned in the department have been assigned the task. The safety of women at night will be our priority. Elaborate security arrangements will be in place. Besides, a streamlined and well-coordinated system will ensure that the women are dropped safely at their homes at night.”

“The DSP (crime against women), DSP (city II) and DSP (headquarters) are the nodal officers for the initiative,” he added.

DSP (crime against women) Kulwant Singh said, “As we have just received the directions, we are in the initial phase of their implementation. After any woman makes a call to the control room or on helpline numbers requesting for help, the control room staff immediately intimate the PCR in the respective location from where the call is made. Later, the PCR staff accompanied with female police personnel will drop the woman at her home or respective destination. A register will be maintained to keep vital information, including record of calls and locations of callers, in a streamlined manner.”

Move evokes mixed response from women

While the government has introduced a mechanism to ensure that women can avail police help to reach home if stranded at night, women in the city gave a mixed response to the move.

Usha Sharma, associate professor of Punjabi, SSD Girls College, said, “I am not sure whether the move will serve the purpose of permanent safety of women while commuting at night. Moreover, it gives an impression that women at public places are unsafe to an extent that the police have to drop them in their vehicle. Speedy judicial trials and death sentence to rape convicts will only deter the ill-practice. Thereafter, there will be a safe environment for women.”

Dr Pooja Gupta, a microbiologist at a private hospital in the city, said, “It is indeed a welcome step of the government. There is a sense of security when police personnel will be around. The only challenge will remain is that for how long the move will provide safety to women in the longer run effectively. It has been observed that such initiatives are introduced by the government when any heinous act of rape comes to the fore, but often these get dilute with the passage of time.”