Odisha Proposes Call Centre Project To Handle Women Harassment Cases; Know More

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has conceptualised a call centre-based project in which victims of sexual and other non-heinous gender-based harassments can report their problems without having to go to a police station to lodge a complaint.

It is on the lines of Women Power Line Project of Uttar Pradesh where woman can lodge complaint on a toll free number. 

The system afoot would handle cases of harassment at public and private places, sexually implicit/explicit calls and messages, bullying and stalking. Besides a toll-free number, complaints would also be received via SMS, WhatsApp, e-mail or mobile app. It would also cover cyber crimes.

According to media reports, the Odisha Police has sent this proposal to the Home Department and awaiting its nod. The project, if approved, will be launched on March 5, the birth anniversary of former chief minister Biju Patnaik. 

According to a report in The Hindustan Times, the Home Department is also considering integrating this project with the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) to be rolled out this year. Started with funding from Nirbhaya Fund, women in distress can press a button in mobile phone for immediate assistance under this system.

THE PROJECT

A state-of-the-art internet telephony, cloud computing solution based user friendly call centre will be set up to attend to calls of victims and counsel them, said a TNIE report, adding that it will have three layers – call responders, mentors and victim support and feedback services.

The male counsellors in the second layer would confirm the genuineness of the complaint and then ascertain the actual identity of the perpetrator and counsel and if necessary can reprimand him if he doesn’t mend his ways. The all-women counsellors in the third layer will remain in touch with the victim at regular intervals continuing up to three months or till resolution of her complaint, the reports added.

MANPOWER

174 personnel, including one officer of IG or DG rank, an SP, four additional SPs or DSPs, four inspectors, 95 constables and 38 professional women counsellors.

The step assumes significance against the backdrop of rising incidents of crime against women in the state.

According to the latest NCRB statistics, 20,274 cases of crime against woman were registered in 2018 as against 20,098 in 2017 and 17,837 in 2016. Odisha figured second in the country in crime rate with 94 per lakh population.

Sexual harassment cases also rose to 1241 in 2018 compared to 1134 cases in 2017 and 979 in 2016.