Imphal, December 15 2009: The women police commando units which are going to be set up for the first time in Manipur would be also be utilised in the counter insurgency operations, Director General of Police (DPG) Y Joykumar has stated.

Talking to this reporter at his office chamber yesterday, DGP Y Joykumar informed that at present efforts are being made initially for setting up four women commandos units in each of the four valley districts.

Each of the proposed units of the Imphal East and Imphal West would have one Inspector, four SIs, five ASIs, 10 Head Constables and 60 Police Constables while one Inspector, two SIs, two ASIs, four Head Constables and 41 Police Constables would be in each of the proposed units of Bishnupur and Thoubal.

In response to a series of questions on the activities of the Police Department with regard to the welfare of women and children, the police officer admitted that prevailing law and order and conflict situation has affected women and children in the State.

In order to solve these problems and in the hope that the number of crimes against women and children would come down if these cases were handled by women police themselves, steps have been taken up to set up women police commando units, women police stations, women police reserve and Mahila Battalion.

Accordingly, nine women police stations would be opened in all the nine districts of the State.

In case of the four valley districts, construction of the buildings where these women police stations would be placed have been started and construction work in the five hill districts is expected to begin very soon.

In each of these nine women police stations, 30 women police personnel including one in the rank of Inspector would be deployed.

There is also plan for recruiting 228 reserved women police who would be attached with the women police stations to be set up in all the nine districts.

In addition to this, efforts are being made for instituting a Mahila Battalion of 333 personnel, the DGP informed.

The fact that there are women police officers in the Police Department goes to illustrate that there is no discrimination against women police personnel, the DGP added.

He went on to inform that as of now the existing women police personnel are trying their best in handling cases related to women and children.

So, it is possible there may be some discontentment on the part of the public.

But all these are expected to be resolved soon with more women police joining the Department.

In connection with the issue of human trafficking, the DGP maintained that workshops, seminars and discussion sessions are being conducted along with NGOs and law enforcement agencies to understand each other's activities.

NGOs have been extending their co-operation to the police and the SDPOs in all the districts are being directed to take some responsibilities as and when cases of human trafficking are reported.

on how far the prevailing unsettling situation in the State is accountable for the reported involvement of women including lactating mothers in serving demand letters of UGs and transporting their guns, the DGP noted that all women victims of the conflict situation are not involved in such unwanted cases.

It is those only those who are after easy money.

It is not the duty of the police alone to rehabilitate drug traffickers, commercial sex workers.

It is the responsibility of all the agencies concerned in the society, he explained.

With regard to the activities taken up by the Police Department with special attention on children, the DGP mentioned open debate, essay writing and other competitions organised on the occasion of Police Raising Day.

There have been cases of pulling up minor children for their involvement in crimes.

If the case is serious, it is referred to the court in accordance to Juvenile Justice Act and if it is that serious, then the parents are summoned for necessary advice.

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