Deshmukh reviews works related to security, women's safety

Maha Home Minister Anil Deshmukh reviewed the work of `Dial-112', an emergency helpline connecting to police and other agencies, including those concerning women's safety, and asked police and other officials to expedite the work. A separate cell will be set up at police stations so that women can lodge complaints comfortably before women police officers, he further stated.

Mumbai:Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Thursday took stock of ongoing security-related projects, including those concerning women's safety, and asked police and other officials to expedite the work.

The state witnessed two horrific crimes against women earlier this week, where a 25-year-old college lecturer and a 50-year-old Dalit woman were set on fire in separate incidents. The Dalit woman died on Thursday.

An official said that Deshmukh reviewed the work of `Dial-112', an emergency helpline connecting to police and other agencies during disasters, Mumbai and Pune CCTV surveillance projects, and CCTV installation in police stations.

He also reviewed Nirbhaya Women Security Fund projects including one where Emergency Call Boxes will be installed at isolated and crime-prone places.

The police should take precautionary measures with the help of modern technology to prevent crimes against women, the home minister said.

A separate cell will be set up at police stations so that women can lodge complaints comfortably before women police officers, the official stated.

More than 10,700 CCTVs will be activated at 3600 places in the second phase of CCTV surveillance project in Mumbai.

CCTV network installation is going on in Pune and Pimpri and approval for such networks for Mira Bhayandar, Solapur, Kolhapur, Chandrapur, Amaravati and Pandharpur will be given soon, he said.

The police department will purchase 1,502 four-wheelers and 2,269 two-wheelers to respond to emergency calls during disasters, he added.