The two-day workshop on ‘Training on Gender Sensitisation and laws’ for the district officials of Nirbhaya Cell Uttarakhand concluded at the block office in Pauri on Tuesday. It was decided that half of the village watchmen would be recruited from the women to use them as bulwark to stop crimes on women and girls.
Apart from the women police personnel, village supervisors, eminent women hailing from the district and different resource persons addressed the workshop during its different sessions. The action plan for the effective functioning of Nirbhaya Cell was discussed by the district officials associated with the cell based in Pauri.
Notably, Uttarakhand Government has launched this cell in four districts — Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri, Tehri and Nainital. The first workshop was held in Udham Singh Nagar district while the next workshop will be held on October 15 and16 at Tehri and the last at Nainital on October 28 and 29. Observers say things would get into final shape after these workshops are over as far as the action plan for effective functioning of the cell is concerned. While the district magistrate will be the president, superintendent of police would be the vice-president of the cell. This aside, the chief medical officer, district programme officer and district social welfare officer would be members of the cell.
On the concluding day of the workshop, SP Rajeev Swaroop stressed on women empowerment to stop crimes and violence against women and girls, adding that among the gram prehari (Watchman), 50 percent would be recruited from the the opposite sex.
Dwelling on human trafficking, he said they are being entrapped in the lure of marriage. “Uttarakhand is blessed with enlightened women. We would use them in full to create a crime-free society in the district. Police would tolerate no crime on the women who are the backbone of the State, always in the forefront of movements for societal changes,” he said.