With the finance department clearing the project, Haryana is all set to have a first women police battalion having 900 personnel. Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced this at the second Haryana Mahila Police Diwas programme in Hisar.

Facts :

• The Haryana government has decided to raise a women police battalion for which 900 personnel would be recruited.
• To impart training to them, a centre will be established in Hisar.
• Three police training centres were presently functioning at Sunaria, Madhuban and Bhondsi, where the new women recruits would be imparted training.
• Besides, the finance department has also given the go-ahead to set up a 1,150 strong state disaster response force (SDRF).
• Two years ago, Haryana Government has decided to establish women’s police stations in all districts.Currently, Haryana have 21 all-women police stations across the state.
• Such police stations were operational in all districts and approval had also been accorded for setting up more in eight subdivisions. As many as 38 women’s help desks were in operation at the subdivisional level and these could be converted into full-fledged stations, if required.
• In view of their large population, an additional women’s police station each would be established in Gurugram and Faridabad. Two women’s police stations each are already functioning in these districts. Additional stations will be set up in NIT, Faridabad and southern Gurugram.
• The Chief Minister said crèches would be opened at all-woman police stations for the care of children accompanying the police personnel, and women lodged there for committing crimes. A family counsellor would be appointed at each women’s police station to provide counselling to the complainants and help strengthen their familial bonds. Women’s police stations had led to decrease in crimes against women.
• Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme has yielded positive results, with the sex ratio at birth in the State, which was less than 832 girls per 1,000 boys in 2014, crossing the 950-mark.
• The percentage of women personnel in the state police force had increased from 6% to 9.3% and with the recruitment of 900 more personnel it would go up to 11%.
• The women battalion will give further boost to women’s strength in the police. Similarly, SDRF will add to police preparedness toward disasters.
• The process to recruit personnel for women battalion and SDRF would begin from next month in March 2019.
• SDRF personnel will be prepared for natural disasters as well as to counter terrorist acts and riots.
• As on now, Haryana Police depend on Haryana Armed Police, or reserve battalions during the time of emergencies to control riots or violence. Similarly, the state lacked the experts to deal with natural disasters.