Police to rope in fair sex in fight against contagion

Nitin Jain
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, April 27

If you see an all-women police squad targeting the fairer sex on the city streets and roads don’t think otherwise. Ludhiana Police Commissionerate has constituted an all-women squad under the Mission Fateh to sensitise and involve the womenfolk in the ongoing fight against Covid.

Led by a sub-inspector, the team of six constables has been tasked to roam around the length and breadth of the city to identify the women seen without masks and violating the Covid appropriate behaviour, especially the social distancing norm.

The women cops will distribute masks and educate the violators about the gravity of the current situation with tips to save themselves and others from contracting the widespread virus.

“The first time women offenders will be sensitised and roped in as volunteers to ensure enforcement of Covid appropriate behaviour at their homes and outside,” Commissioner of Police (CP) Rakesh Agrawal told The Tribune here on Tuesday.

Himself recuperating from the virus even over a month after taking a second vaccine shot, Agrawal said the community outreach programme would also take to task the habitual offenders while building a public movement to follow the Covid appropriate behaviour in the right earnest.

Sharing details, ADCP Dr Pragya Jain said a special team, comprising all women police personnel, was formed with a view to engage women as active participants in the fight against Covid. “It is a gesture to thank women for their stellar contribution in keeping families and communities safe while juggling professional responsibilities,” she revealed.

She disclosed that the special team would distribute masks to the needy women as well as challan gross female violators.

“The six-member team of women constables, who are themselves married and have kids at home, is headed by a woman sub-inspector, to bring home the message of enforcing strict Covid appropriate behaviour among family members, friends and colleagues in an easy-to-understand manner,” Dr Jain expressed.

She said the special emphasis of the drive would be on risk posed to young children by the present mutant virus form.

“Women have a special place in our society and form the bedrock of family. They can contribute effectively in keeping families resilient from the pandemic,” asserted the ADCP, while adding that the drive was launched on the directives of the CP, who had stressed the need to take care of women, children and elders, who were most vulnerable to the second Covid wave.

Over 500 booked

The Commissionerate Police has already distributed over 10,000 masks under the ongoing drive to emphasise on the necessity of wearing masks.

Under the drive, police personnel and officials along with members of the civil society and voluntary organisations are going on foot at busy junctions and public places to check those who are not wearing masks while commuting on vehicles or pedestrians.

The cops distribute free masks to such people along with the request to follow the Covid guidelines. “They were also warned of strict action, ” said the city police chief, adding that over 500 FIRs have already been registered against the violators so far.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.