मंगलवार, 25 दिसंबर 2012

A women and children Help desk in each Police Station

A women and children Help desk in each Police Station
An Idea whose time has come

An experiment by Shri Satish B Agnihotri IAS in 2005 when he was secretary of Women and Child Dept at Govt of Odisha. He alongwith a sensitive DGP Shri Mishra was able to implement a WOMEN AND CHILD HELP DESK in many police choukies.

The recent incident of brutality and rape of a brave 23 year old has shocked the conscience of the entire society. There is anger, helplessness, shrill cries for summary retribution and knee jerk reaction. The overwhelming demand is for more severe punishment and speedier process of trial. Some saner elements have emphasized the point that it is the speed and certainty of punishment that is an effective deterrent rather than the severity of the punishment. There is also the oft repeated` demand for the all-women police station. All these ‘instant’ solutions are very tempting, but do these provide lasting solutions? Hardly so.

We have heard much of this debate before. Experience tells us that this anger will also dissipate if we do not channelize it into lasting institutional solution to the problem of unsafe Delhi or for that matter, increasingly unsafe urban India for its women.

No society is crime free. But a mature society learns from incidents of this type and sets up anti-dotes that are both preventative and those who deal with incidents when unfortunately, they happen. Nor are the social attitudes going to change overnight, but a systemic effort in that direction has to begin somewhere! We can enact any number of laws, but the devil truly hides in implementation as the Delhi and similar such incidents have shown us in the past. Can we create a functional, robust and helpful structure? The answer is a simple YES!

What does a rape victim, or for that matter a female victim of violence need the most and need immediately? A trust that she will be heard and helped; not scorned, shoed away or worst, made to suffer more ignominy. Given the structure of our social and criminal justice system, the woman and especially the child does not dare to approach a police station. Sympathy is the last thing they expect there, and this is precisely where the first dent has to be made.

Women’s issues suffer from one more dilemma. We often set up exclusive solutions for them. All women’s police stations are no exception. The unintended side effect of it is that the mainstream police stations conveniently wash their hands off the complainant sending her to the ‘exclusive’ thana. The all women police station always remains a ‘second class citizen’ and, in an ironical case that  the writer is aware of, a Mahila Thana was itself asking for protection against local ruffians – who after all have to be handled by the local ‘mainstream’ police station. An added nuance that is ignored by all is that untrained women police can be equally insensitive or even more insensitive, compared to their male counterpart while dealing with women who have faced violence.

 Why can’t we mainstream the component of assisting women and children as part of the regular criminal justice and police system? It is feasible, cost effective and can increase the quality of policing. More important, it has been tried out in Odisha and there is no reason why it cannot work in, say, Delhi immediately.

Imagine a traumatized victim of violence walking into a police station. How reassuring will the person feel if she finds a Women and Child desk manned by a woman who is not intimidating in her manners? How reassuring if there a sliding partition of the type we use in hospitals which give a patient privacy? How reassuring indeed if the desk personnel;

  • Listen to the complainant with patience and compassion. If required, provide her facilities such as drinking water and use of toilet.
  • Ensure that the details are kept confidential and facilitate to lodge the complaint or the FIR.
  • Help the complainant to access the services such as health, counseling, legal aid, short-stay home. 
  • Provide services without being judgmental and biased due caste, creed, current situation, family background or past history of the client.
  • Uphold the dignity and respect of the client and
  • Do not give any wrong hopes and information to the client

Is it a tall order to expect the Help Desk to be open 24 hours and on all days just as the police station is? Certainly not.

Every district has requisite support system in terms of hospital, short stay home, legal aid cell etc. But one important missing link is the service of a councilor. It is quite possible to have a panel of two to three professional and trained councilors for every police stations who can be remunerated on the case attendance basis.

Are such solutions not very costly? Not at all. A proposal submitted to the Women and Child Department in the Centre in 2005-06 for a support to about 460 police stations to set up the Women and Children help desk with support for training, councelling, help line, mobility, communication, transport, stay at Short stay home, sensitization workshops and monitoring and evaluation together cost just about 4 crores of rupees. It could at best be 10 crores to-day – a cost the society can certainly afford.

Many persons had argued for setting up a women’s desk and a children’s desk separately. A simple ‘thought experiment’ was enough to dissuade them from such idea. The thought experiment was to imagine the plight of a 12 year old girl child who comes to the police station and is tossed between the two desks! We often forget the simple wisdom of ‘united we stand’!

Training, sensitisation and capacity building of the police personnel is a big task and has to be sustained over a long time. But wherever it has been done properly it has been a rewarding experience. Sunita Krishnan, the brave and now famous ‘rape survivor’ from Hyderabad who is currently working for rescue and rehabilitation of trafficked girls, had been part of such training of Police personnel. A week after one of her training sessions, she received a phone call from a Police Inspector who told her that he had carried out a raid for rescue of some girls in which he followed her instructions to the last detail. When he told her that he found it to be the most rewarding day of his three decades service in Police, Sunita was overwhelmed. She told this writer that it was the biggest certificate that she ever got as a trainer.  

There you are. With a little addition to the existing infrastructure, we can set up a mainstream institutional structure to which a traumatized victim can turn for help and support without fearing to encounter insensitivity or ridicule. It is a place that would treat her with dignity. A desk that will connect her to the support services rather than leaving her to fend for herself. It will be a place where not withstanding her trauma her ‘mind will be without fear’.

It is time Delhi sheds its image as the rape capital of the country and sets up structures that make violence against women a thing of the past. It is quite feasible to set up such help desks in all the police stations by 8th March 2013.

This is the most constructive tribute we can pay to the 23 year old braveheart who is struggling for her life in Safdarjung Hospital. The time for the idea is now!


Satish B Agnihotri sbagnihotri@gmail.com The writer is a civil servant and currently working in the Ministry of Defence. The views are personal. Four documents related with this initiative taken in Odisha can be accessed at the url ……… These provide a power point presentation, the details of the model Police Order, cost estimates for setting up the desks in 460 Police stations and the information to be displayed at the Help Desk. For details about Sunita Krishnan, please see her TED lecture or the ‘We the people’ programme telecast on Sunday the 23rd December 2012.
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Police Order No. 301/2005


To facilitate integrated approach towards "Crime against Women" and "Children", it has been decided to set up a `Mahila and Sishu Desks' in 40 Police Stations of the State as per list attached in the first phase. The Desk Officer for such desk will receive all complaints of/relating to women victims and children, listen to their grievances with empathy and ensure proper legal action.

Constitution:

A woman officer of the rank of S.I/ A.S.I available in the said 40 major Police Stations of the state shall be designated as Desk Officer of the `Mahila and Sishu Desk'. She will be assisted by at least one lady constable. Where no woman officer of the rank of S.I / A.S.I. is available in the said 40 Police Stations, a Junior S.I should be designated as the Desk Officer of such Desk. In absence of any woman officer, at least two lady constables should be attached to such Desk. The Dist. S. P. will select personnel from the existing strength of the Police Stations and attach them to such Desk by issuing formal orders, which should be published as D.O. and a copy sent to the concerned Police Station. The `Mahila and Sishu Desk shall function under the over all control and supervision of the Officer-in-Charge of the Police Station.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Desk Officer of the Mahila and Sishu Desk shall be responsible for receiving all complaints either lodged at the Police Stations by woman and child victims or relating to them

1.                  If the complaint reveals a cognizable case, it shall be her/his duty to have the case registered immediately and ensure that a copy of the FIR is made over to the complaint free of cost. The acknowledgement of the complainant should be retrained for record.
2.                  If the complaint does not reveal any cognizable case she or he shall enter the fact in the Station Diary and advise the victim suitably to take other recourse available.
3.                  The Officer-in-Charge of the Police Station, the Desk Officer of the Mahila and Sishu Desk as well as the staff attached to such Desk should be conversant with laws in force relating to women and children as well as various judicial pronouncements and guidelines of the Apex Court and different High Courts and ensure that these are implemented in letter and spirit.
4.                  They will ensure that the guidelines prescribed under various laws and by the Apex Court relating to arrest and treatment of women and children while at the Police Stations are meticulously followed.
5.                  The Traumatized women victims as well as women and juvenile accused of any offence while at Police Stations shall be segregated from others, and examined and interrogated separately in a separate room of the P. S. with due regard to their privacy and in accordance with law.
6.                  The women victims/accused persons shall be dealt with all decency and due regard to their honour and dignity, so that they do not feel harassed at the hands of the police on the plea of examination or interrogation.
7.                  Similarly, the child victims and juveniles in conflict with law shall be taken care of and dealt with sympathy in accordance with provisions of law relating to children.
8.                  The traumatized women victims and children may require counseling and temporary shelter before they are accepted back in the families or otherwise rehabilitated. The Desk Officer of the desk shall refer such cases to the Short Stay Home, Destitute Home and Children's Home etc. as the case may be. To facilitate this, such Desk Officer shall maintain a list of Family Counselling Centres, Short Stay Homes, Swadhar Homes for Women and Children etc. with the names and addresses of the functionaries as well as their telephone numbers to contact them at the time of need. A detailed district wise list has already been circulated to all District Ss. P. / Range D.Is.G. by the woman and Child Development Department, Bhubaneswar.
9.                  Several NGOs at the Dist. and State level are working for the cause of women and children. The Officer-in-Charge of the Police Station and the Desk Officer should be accessible to such NGOs and co-ordinate such efforts to improve the condition of women and children within the legal frame work. To facilitate this, the Desk Officer shall maintain a list of such NGOs functioning in the P. S area and the district, with names, addresses of the functionaries and telephone numbers of contact them as and when necessary.
10.             The traumatized women victims and children may require medical attention for their medico-legal examination and treatment. The Desk Officer of such Desk shall maintain a list of lady doctors available in the P. S jurisdiction, Sub-Division and District Hdqrs. for referring the cases of women and children victims.
11.             Trafficking in Women and Children is another major area which the officers and men attached to such Desk will be required to focus their attention. The Officers and men attached to the Desk shall collect information regarding trafficking in 'Women' and 'Children' on false promises of marriage, providing employment etc. and their subsequent exploitation. Regular liaison with the NGOs working in the field and people's representatives, particularly of Panchayatiraj Institutions will help in collection of such intelligence. On receipt of such intelligence it should be duly verified, and the Desk officer should ensure raids on the lodging houses, hotels, brothels, bars and pubs, dhabas and red light areas by the special Police Officer under the I.T.P. Act, 1956, if any, and take appropriate legal action against the traffickers. The victims of such trafficking should be handled with due honour and dignity and steps taken for restoring them to their parents / guardians or rehabilitating them through NGOs or other Govt. agencies.
12.             It has been observed that Police officers during interviews to the media allow women and child victims to be photographed after raids on brothels etc. While briefing the media, the Mahila and Sisu Desk personnel should bear in mind that law prohibits revelation of name of victims of offences U/s. 376, 376A, 376B, 376C and 337D I.P.C., and child participants in offences under the I.T.P. Act are often victims of crime. This aspect may be borne in mind while allowing media coverage of such offences.
13.             The Desk Officer shall initiate legal action against sale and circulation of obscene literature, pornographic materials and indecent representation of women at public places. They shall also identify places frequently by large number of women and girls either regularly or occasionally during fairs and festivals and take proactive measures by way of patrolling and deployment of women police officers to prevent eve-teasing, kidnapping, abduction and molestation etc.
In addition to the aforesaid duties, the officers and constables attached to such Desk shall perform normal duties of the Police Station assigned to them by the Officer-in-Charge.

14.             Training: A 'Sensitization Training Course' for Officers and Constables attached to such Desk, Os.I.C/ Is.I.C/C.Is/SDPOs and Hqrs. Dy. Ss. P. shall be organised at the Range level. The District Ss.P. will ensure that all officers and Constables attached to such Desk attend the training course. Suitable entry to that effect may be made in their Service books.
15.             Nodal Authority: The Dist. H.R.P.C. will act as the Nodal agency in such matters within the district.



(B. B. MISHRA)
D.G & I. G. of Police
Orissa, Cuttack






List of Police Stations of the State where 'Mahila and Sishu Desk will be set up in the 1st Phase.

Name of the Districts                                                         Name of the Police Stations


1.      Angul                                                                            Angul P.S.
                                                                                                Talcher P.S
2.      Balasore                                                                       Balasore P.S
3.      Berhampur                                                                   Gopalpure P.S.
4.      Bargarh                                                                         Bargarh P.S.
5.      Boudh                                                                           Boudh P.S.
6.      Bhadrak                                                                        Town P.S.
7.      Bolangir                                                                        Bolangir Town P.S.
8.      Cuttack                                                                         Salepur P.S.
                                                                                                Sadar P.S.
9.      Deogarh                                                                       Deogarh P.S.
10.    Dhenkanal                                                                   Town P.S.
11.    Ganjam                                                                         Chhatrapur P.S.
                                                                                                Bhanjanagar P.S.
12.    Gajapati                                                                        Paralakhemundi P.S
13.    Jajpur                                                                            Jajpur P.S
14.    Jagatsinghpur                                                             Jagatsinghpur P.S.
                                                                                                Paradeep P.S.
15.    Jharsuguda                                                                 Jharsuguda P.S.
16.    Kalahandi                                                                    Town P.S.
17.    Keonjhar                                                                      Town P.s.
                                                                                                Ghasipura P.S.
18.    Kandhamal                                                                  Town P.S.
19.    Khurda                                                                          Jatni P.S.
                                                                                                Khurda P.S
20.    Koraput                                                                         Town P.S.
21.    Kendrapara                                                                  Kendrapara P.S.
                                                                                                Rajnagar P.S.
22.    Mayurbhanj                                                                 Baripada Town P.S
23.    Nayagarh                                                                     Nayagarh P.S.
24.    Nawarangpur                                                              Nawarangpur P.S.
25.    Puri                                                                                Puri Town P.S.
                                                                                                Pipil P.S.
26.    Rourkela                                                                       Lathikata P.S.
27.    Rayagada                                                                     Rayagada P.S.
28.    Sambalpur                                                                   Burla P.S.
29.    Sonepur                                                                       Sonepur Town P.S.
30.    Sundargarh                                                                 Town P.S.
31.    Nuapada                                                                      Nuapada P.S.
32.    Malkangiri                                                                    Malkangiri P.S.


(B. B. MISHRA)
D.G & I. G. of Police
Orissa, Cuttack
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Help desk Display

  • The Help Desk is open 24 hours and on all days.
  • The help desk is an exclusive desk for women and children in distress.
  • Two/ three police officers are exclusively deputed for this desk

Services provided by the Help Desk:

  • The helpdesk shall listen to the clients and facilitate to lodge the complaint.
  • The helpdesk shall facilitate the client to lodge FIR.
  • For a non literate person, the Help Desk shall read out the FIR and take the left thumb impression / signature only after the client is satisfied with the language and content of FIR. 

Your rights:

  • It is your right to lodge an FIR. The Help Desk shall not refuse or dissuade you from lodging an FIR.
  • Ensure that you affix your signature on the FIR.
  • You are entitled to a copy of the FIR. You can demand your copy from the Help Desk. 
  • If you are a victim of violence, rape, burn etc and require medical attention, helpdesk will ensure the provision of medical examination and treatment.
  • If you need counseling support, the help desk shall make arrangements to obtain counseling support.
  • If you need legal aid, then the Help Desk would request the legal aid cell to provide support.
  • If you need to stay in short stay/ childcare home, the helpdesk shall make arrangements for it.
  • Help Desk would maintain confidentiality and your information would not be shared. Help Desk would only share the information for the purpose of the trial, with your consent.

Ground Rules for the Help Desk Personnel:
  • Listen to the client/ complainant with patience and compassion. If required, provide them facilities such as drinking water and use of toilet.
  • Ensure that the details are kept confidential.
  • Help the client/ complainant to access the services such as health, counseling, legal. 
  • Provide services without being judgmental and biased due caste, creed, current situation, family background or past history of the client.
  • Uphold the dignity and respect of the client.
  • Do not give any wrong hopes and information to the client.
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BUDGET AND UNIT COST FOR 'PREVENTION RESCUE AND REHABILITATION OF TRAFFICKED
WOMEN AND GIRLS
1
TRAINING OF POLICE PERSONNEL ATTACHED TO THE 'MAHILA O SISHU' HELP DESK
No. of participants per batch

                30
Duration of the orientation
[days]
                  3


(Rupees)
Travel of Resource persons (Air fare)
For 2 national level resource persons
30,000
Honorarium to resource persons
@Rs.1,500 * 2 Resource persons*3 days
9,000
Boarding & lodging of Resource persons

3,000
Travel Allowance to participants
Average of Rs.300 per participant * 30 participants ( to be paid on actual basis as per government norm)
9,000
DA to the participants
@Rs. 150/- per participant * 30 participants * 3 days (Including boarding charges and excluding food expenses during the training)
13,500
Food (Lunch and tea/snacks)
@Rs.100 * 30 participants * 3 days
9,000
Miscellaneous expenditure (Banner, stationery and materials, other contingencies)
@Rs.100 * 30 participants
3,000
Total cost of orientation per batch
76,500
Cost of orientation of 1392 participants of 464 police stations having help desk in 47 batches
3,595,500
2
SUPPORT TO HELP DESK
No of Help Desk

464



Contingencies
@Rs.1,500/- per month * 12 months * 464 units
8,352,000



Annual contingency cost of 464 Help Desk
8,352,000
3
SALARY TO COUNSELORS
Salary to Counselors
@Rs.5,000 per month * 12 months * 30 counselors
1,800,000
4
TRAINING OF COUNSELORS
No. of participants per batch

                30
Duration of the orientation
[days]
                  5



Travel of Resource persons (Air fare)
For 2 national level resource persons
30,000
Honorarium to resource persons
@Rs.1,500 * 2 Resource persons*5 days
15,000
Travel allowance to participants
@Rs.150 * 30 participants
4,500
DA to the participants
@Rs. 100/- per participant * 30 participants * 10 days (Including boarding charges and excluding food expenses during the training)
30,000
Food (Lunch and tea/snacks)
@Rs.100 * 30 participants * 10 days
30,000
Miscellaneous expenditure (Banner, stationery and materials, other contingencies)
@Rs.100 * 30 participants
3,000
Total cost of orientation per batch
112,500
5
SUPPORT TO COUNSELING CENTRES
No of counseling centres

30



Contingencies (Office management, stationary expenditure including telephone)
@Rs.2,500/- per month * 12 months * 30 centres
900,000
Mobility support for counselors to provide counseling at help desk
@Rs.10,000/- per month * 12 months * 30 centres
3,600,000



Annual cost for functioning of 30 counseling centres
4,500,000
6
SUPPORT TO ESTABLISHMENT OF HELPLINES
No of Helplines

30



Helpline Operational cost
@Rs.6,000/- per month * 12 months * 30 units
2,160,000



Annual operational cost for functioning of 30 Helplines
2,160,000
7
SUPPORT FOR STORT STAY / SWADHAR HOMES
No of units to support

                30
No. of residents /rescued women and girls to be supported
Per Short Stay / Swadhar Homes
                25



Support for food,
@Rs.500/- per month * 12 months * 25 girls and women * 30 units
4,500,000
Medical support for check up and  treatment
@Rs.300/- per month * 12 months * 25 girls and women * 30 units
2,700,000
Total of support
7,200,000
8
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Salary of trainer
@Rs.  5000 Per month *12 *30 units
2,160,000
Cost of material
@Rs.  200 Per month *25 *30 units
150,000
Total support for training
2,310,000
9
MOBILITY SUPPORT FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT / DOCTORS
No of units to support
One per district
30



Mobility support for doctors
@Rs.1000/- per month * 12 months * 30 units
360,000
10
COMMUNICATION AND ADVOCACY MATERIALS
Printing of a booklet on laws and rights of women
Rs.25 per booklet * 3,000 booklets
75,000
Pamphlets / materials on trafficking
Lump sum provision for printing of 3 types on pamphlets on trafficking
150,000



Total cost of materials
225,000
11
STATE LEVEL EXPERIENCE SHARING WORKSHOP ON HELP DESK
No. of participants
Selected from district and state units
60
Duration of the workshop
[day]
1


Rs.P
Travel of resource persons / facilitators
Hired taxi charges for local travel
2,000
Honorarium to Resource persons / Facilitators
@Rs.1,000/- per person * 3 persons
3,000
Travel of participants
Average of Rs.300 per participant * 40 outstation participants ( to be paid on actual basis as per government norm)
12,000
Meeting expenses:


Banner (Two)

2,000
Food for participants (High tea, Lunch, Evening tea)
@Rs.250 * 60 participants
15,000
Food for drivers
@Rs.75 * 50 drivers
3,750
Stationery and materials
@Rs.100 * 60 participants
6,000
Workshop Contingencies
@Rs.50 * 60 participants
3,000
Documentation
Video and print documentation including printing of the workshop report
30,000



Total cost of the workshop
76,750
12
MONITORING AND EVALUATION



Monitoring / Supportive supervision by a team consisting of persons from WCD, Home, police academy and NGO
@ Rs.5,000 per quarter * 4 quarters * 464 help desks, swadhar and short stay and children's home 
9,280,000



Total M & E cost
9,280,000
TOTAL BUDGET
39,971,750
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