CM Jagan directs Disha PS be set up in each LS segment

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed officials to set up a ‘Disha Police Station’ in each Parliament constituency of the state to handle cases of crime against women, besides setting up a separate division by the home department to curb social media harassment of women.

Holding a review meeting at his camp office in Tadepalli on Thursday, the Chief Minister directed women police and volunteers to hold door-to-door campaigns to explain the uses of the Disha App.

The Chief Minister said that a separate division, on the lines of SEB, ACB, and CID, will be formed and led by an ADGP-level officer.

The review meeting also found mention of GO 1, which the Chief Minister instructed to be implemented effectively to curb untoward incidents at public meetings, citing multiple incidents of stampede deaths.

At the meeting, the Chief Minister also directed officials to prepare for launching the Jaganannaku Chebudam grievance redressal programme on May 9.

Discussing the women’s issues, he said: “There should be separate protocols and SOP for Mahila police in villages. Further, a comprehensive review of the current duties and responsibilities should also be done. With the help of women police at the village level, the whole perception of the department among the people would change.”

Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the department to revisit the functioning of the Disha App and ordered a mock drill in the state to assess the response time of the police personnel.

“Mahila police and volunteers at the village level should reach out to all the households and explain the benefits of having the Disha App on their phones. A pamphlet explaining the same should also be distributed to create more awareness,” the Chief Minister said.  

Officials said that so far, in cases recorded from the Disha App, the death penalty was given in three cases, life terms in 30 cases, 20-year terms in 18 cases and 10-year terms in 22 cases, with a total of 80 people being punished.

As many as 1,415 cases were registered after the zero-FIR concept was introduced.

The Chief Minister also ordered officials to check marijuana cultivation and smuggling, by holding regular drills and providing support to farmers to cultivate alternative crops. He called for installing hoardings with toll-free numbers in colleges for drug prevention and to counsel students and parents.

Officials, on their part, informed the Chief Minister that cannabis cultivation has decreased significantly this year, with ganja farmers being offered assistance to cultivate alternative crops like coffee, lemon, cashew, sweet orange, coconut, tamarind and other crops over 7,328 acres shunning ganja cultivation.

“More police complaints mean more intervention by the department with people’s trust. The parameter for rating a state with criminal records should be changed by the Union government,” the Chief Minister said, directing officials to write a letter to the Union home minister on the issue.