CM launches Durga Shakti app for women safety

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 12

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday launched the android-based Durga Shakti app of the Haryana Police.

The app will enable women to seek immediate help of the police through Women Helpline Number 1091 in case of an emergency.

The mobile app was launched at the ‘Ek Aur Sudhar Programme’ organised at Indradhanush Auditorium, Panchkula.

Additional Director General of Police, Operations, AS Chawla said that after downloading the app, any woman or girl who is in distress could send information along with her GPS location to the Women Helpline number of her district through WhatsApp just by pressing a red button on the app.

It is mandatory to register once on the mobile app. The victim does not need to speak. Once the red button is pressed, she can send information about her GPS location, blood group and other details in form of a WhatsApp message to the Women Helpline number. The victim can also speak to the operator at the helpline number, Chawla said.

Describing the app as a better communication tool between the victim and police, Chawla said that the PCR vehicle could use the GPS location received on WhatsApp to ascertain the victim’s whereabouts.

The police could also send messages and tips about women’s safety and security to the users of the app. In case, a woman or girl lands into an emergency situation outside the state, she can inform the Haryana Police through the Durga Shakti app.

He said that our aim is to reduce the response time of the police to provide help to women in distress. This app is currently available on Android platform. This facility would be extended to other operating systems as well in due course, he added.

How app will work 

• Download 'Durga Shakti App' from Google playstore on your android mobile phone 
• You have register once in the app with your mobile number 
• You can seek immediate police help by pressing the red button on the screen. It will send your location to the Women Helpline number 
• In case, the victim is not able to receive calls on her phone, the police will contact the alternative number provided at the time of registration of the app
• Haryana women, if outside the state, can also take the help of the Haryana Police through this app
• The police can also send messages and tips about women’s safety to the users of the app

50 vehicles flagged off 

• The Chief Minister also flagged off 50 new vehicles for women police stations in the state on Thursday. Director General of Police BS Sandhu said that these vehicles have been allotted to ‘Durga Shakti Rapid Action Force’ to check incidents of eve teasing and other crime related to women and girls in the state. 
• Out of the total, six vehicles each had been allotted in Gurugram and Faridabad districts; three each to Ambala, Karnal and Sonipat; two each to Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Rewari, Jhajjar, Hisar, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Yamunanagar, Jind and Rohtak districts; and one each in the districts of Bhiwani, Palwal, Nuh, Hansi, Charkhi Dadri, Narnaul and Kaithal.