Mahila Police Volunteers

INN/New Delhi, @infodeaofficial 

Ministry of Women and Child Development in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs has envisaged engagement of Mahila Police Volunteers (MPVs) in the States/UTs who will act as a link between police and community and help women in distress. All Chief Secretaries of States/UTs were requested to adopt this initiative in their respective States.

Haryana was the first state to adopt the initiative at Karnal and Mahindergarh District on a pilot basis under Nirbhaya Fund during the financial year 2016-2017. Further, the proposals of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have also been approved for implementation of MPVs. The State-wise details of MPVs appointed are at Annexure-I.

The Government has not launched Mahila aur Shishu Rakshak Dal (MASRD) in the country. Under the Mahila Police Volunteers Scheme, one of the activities/ responsibilities of Mahila Police Volunteers is to motivate and mobilize individuals to form themselves into MASRDs as well as to integrate the existing groups working in the community on women empowerment issues with MASRDs.

Further, the Scheme of Mahila Police Volunteers is a central sector scheme which is required to be implemented with active financial and administrative participation of State Governments and UT Administrations. The Ministry of Women and Child Development actively pursues with the State Governments and UT Administrations for effective implementation of this Scheme. So far, the Government of India has not conducted impact assessment of this Scheme.

For confidence building among women, Government of India Schemes such as the One Stop Centre Scheme, the Women Help Line Scheme and the Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme are also implemented.

ANNEXURE-I

This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.