The ‘Special Cells for Women and Community Approach’ was launched by the Assam Police on Wednesday in ten districts throughout the state.
Director General of Police (DGP) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta established the cell for police stations in the districts of Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Kamrup (Rural), Karbi Anglong, Cachar, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, and Dhubri.
These Special Cells would be manned by Social Workers, Counsellors, and State Coordinators from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), which signed an MoU with the Assam Government represented by the Assam Police, Home Department, and Department of Social Welfare.
These Special Cells will provide a safe area for battered women to receive emotional and social support from experienced full-time social workers who will provide quality psychological, social, and legal services.
As these Special Cells will operate from Sadar Police Stations in the said districts, the needs and concerns of survivors of violence will be handled in a hospitable environment.
The TISS also collaborated with US Agency for International Development’s MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership: India-Yash led by Jhpiego and Child in Need Institute (CINI) to operate these special cells for two years.
DGP Mahanta stated that the state police are committed to preventing crimes against women and children, and that gender-based violence is being effectively combated.
He also emphasised the necessity for a multidisciplinary strategy to combat this threat, saying that “police, NGOs, Social Welfare Department and Home Department and other stakeholders need to work together to address the issue.”
