Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 8: Union Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the Jammu and Kashmir Government to evolve a uniform policy for providing basic infrastructure amenities to the women police force and underlined several proposals for inclusion in the State Action Plan under the Scheme for Modernization of State Police for the financial year 2014-15 on priority basis.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that notwithstanding the Ministry of Home Affairs repeated advisories about increasing the representation of women in Jammu and Kashmir Police to address the specific needs of women in the fast changing society, the women in State Police constitute only 3.42% of total strengthen of the JKP. This percentage is less than the national average of 5.33%.
Even the Parliamentary Commission on Empowerment of Women had stressed to make presence of women police personnel more visible vis-à-vis their male counterparts so that the gender issues at the local level are addressed more emphatically.
“Apart from various other reasons, the less percentage is also due to lack of basic infrastructure amenities for the women police force in the State”, sources said, adding “the MHA in a recent communiqué to the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director General of Police has specifically touched this issue and asked for providing basic infrastructure amenities to the women cops”.
“The inherent police work requires long working hours and involves outdoor activities especially when graph of crime against and involving women has become a matter of serious concern”, the MHA said, adding “it is difficult for the women police officials to keep a balance between the household essential duties and professional activities without a robust organizational and infrastructural support for a stress-free working environment”.
Stating that a systematic approach is required to facilitate the women police personnel to a large extent and make the working environment more amenable for them, the MHA has asked the State to evolve a uniform policy for establishing facilities at the work place so as to mitigate the problems faced by them. The Ministry has also hinted at providing funds under the Modernization of State Police Forces Scheme to meet the emergent requirements of the women police force.
Underlining five proposals relating to the women police personnel for inclusion in the State Action Plan for the current financial year on priority, the MHA said, “at existing police stations, outposts and barracks, where women police personnel are deployed, a provision must be made for suitable toilets; a rest room be provided at every police station for the women personnel; facilities must be provided for storing the clothes and personal belongings”, adding “while providing and creating these facilities security of the women cops must be kept in mind”.
According to the sources, the Ministry has directed the State to ensure provision of these facilities in every new police station, outpost or barrack proposed under the Modernization of Police Force. It has also asked the State to include any other specific proposal pertaining to the women police force in the Action Plan.
When contacted, Dr S P Vaid, ADGP Police Headquarters confirmed that MHA has issued directions for inclusion of women police personnel specific proposals in the State Action Plan. “We have set in motion the process for carrying out necessary modifications in the Action Plan”, he added.
In response to a question, he confirmed that percentage of women cops in State Police was less than the national average and many States of the country, adding “efforts are on to increase the representation and provision of basic infrastructure amenities would also be a step in this direction”.
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