Mahila Mitra, Cyber Mitra to help women

VISAKHAPATNAM: After its success in Vijayawada, the state government is set to introduce ‘Mahila Mitra’ (friend of women) in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. They will also set up Cyber Mitras to address cybercrimes, especially those committed against women.
As part of the system, Mahila Mitra committees will be set up in each ward in the city and each village in the district. Anybody can voluntarily join these committees in their respective localities to help the women.
The state has 989 police stations under 195 circle police stations in the jurisdiction of 90 sub divisions. Apart from this, there are eight APSP battalions. According to sources, a women police constable at each police station across the state would act as a Mahila Co-ordinator and a DSP rank woman officer would act as a district coordinator.
“We used to have programmes on gender sensitisation. But now we are introducing the Mahila Coordinators system. These coordinators would act as facilitators in each police station,” the AP police technical wing DIG G Palaraju told TOI.
The Mahila Mitra wing would address the issues faced by women. “The programme is the brainchild of the present DGP Gautam Sawang,” said DIG G Palaraju said.
Each woman coordinator will visit the wards or colonies and villages and learn about the problems faced by women through Mahila Mitra committees before submitting a report to the government. The coordinators would also help women with their cases.