Women commission to survey women’s police stations in state
Gurugram: The Haryana State Commission for Women will be surveying women’s police stations across the state to find out whether they have adequate personnel and infrastructure to deal with complaints.
According to officials of the commission, over the next few months, details on the number of police personnel, the number of FIRs lodged and complaints received on the women’s helpline number and their approach to complaints will be sought from the stations. Based on the response, training on how to handle complaints and suggestions to improve infrastructure will be provided by the commission, said the officials.
Haryana currently has 31 women’s police stations, including three in Gurugram – at Sector 51, Manesar and Civil Lines. The state government had announced a women’s police station in each of Haryana’s 21 districts in 2015 to increase safety. Each station has all women staff, supervised by a woman deputy superintendent of police, and has powers as per the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, to investigate offences.
“We have received complaints that personnel at police stations are untrained to carry out investigations and that basic infrastructure such as toilets and resting spaces isn’t up to the mark. Based on the survey, the women commission will recommend sensitisation training and other infrastructure developments to the state chief secretary,” said Preeti Bhardwaj, vice-chairperson of the commission.
The police stations are also required to have counsellors who handle matrimonial disputes and cases of dowry and domestic violence. However, the commission officials pointed that many might not have received proper training to deal with such cases. “The commission wants to see what the approach to such cases is and if it needs to be improved,” said Bhardwaj.
Pankhuri Yadav, assistant commissioner of police, Gurugram, said the three women’s police stations here have adequate staff and infrastructure. “There are no minimum criteria on the number of staff required at the stations. But all our stations have adequate staff who receive training at regular intervals. We have also deployed three women police officers at all police stations in the district.”
