Kolkata: In the backdrop of the Hyderabad gangrape and murder of a veterinary doctor, the West Bengal government is mulling to set up a call centre having a toll free number to cater to the complaints of crime against women in the districts, a senior official said on Thursday.
The centre would be funded from a portion of the Nirbhaya fund that the state gets from the Union government.
"There will be a toll-free number for the purpose.
Once a call is received, the executives at the call centre will alert the concerned police station in the districts for prompt action," the officer said.
Around 40 per cent of the amount out of the Nirbhaya fund that the state gets from the centre would be earmarked for the purpose, he said.
The Hyderabad horror has send an alarm across the country and the proposed measure is a step to further strengthen security of women in Bengal.
Kolkata police and the police administration in its surrounding areas have already beefed up the security arrangements for the safety of the women.
In Kolkata, the city police has already installed CCTV cameras and planning to set up many more of them besides operating mobile toilets for the fair sex for their security.
These measures have been initiated to make the city safe and comfortable for fair sex, a senior officer of the Kolkata police said.
Decision to step up security arranegments for the women in the city was taken at a recent meeting held at the police headquarters chaired by the city police commissioner Anuj Sharma.
"We have plans to set more CCTVs at strategic points near educational institutions and busy intersections of the city. We are also planning to introduce mobile toilets for women near market places," Sharma had said at that meeting.
Kolkata police is also considering to have a new dedicated cyber crime investigation laboratory for quick and better probe of online crimes against women, a senior officer of the force said.
The force has also taken initiative to educate men to respect the women.
There have been campaigns by the city police to make citizens aware of emergency numbers like 100, 1090 and 1091.
Kolkata police has also launched projects like 'Respect Women' and self-defence drives, like 'Tejashwini' to sensitive people and make women self-reliant.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a recent meeting directed all police stations to register complaints of violence against women without any delay.
The chief minister also instructed senior officers to penalise police personnel, who refuses to register complaint in such cases.
