West Bengal government approves 29 new women police stations
The expansion aims to strengthen women's safety and is expected to create more employment within the state police force.
The West Bengal government has approved the establishment of 29 new women police stations across the state, according to ThePrint. A notification regarding this decision was issued on October 30, following a proposal that had been pending for over three years.
Cooch Behar, Murshidabad, and Purba Bardhaman are set to receive three stations each. Darjeeling, Hooghly, Jalpaiguri, Nadia, Purba Medinipur, and Purulia will each get two stations, while Bankura, Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, North 24 Parganas, Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, and Uttar Dinajpur will receive one station each.
The staffing plan for every new station includes one inspector, between six and seven sub-inspectors, eight assistant sub-inspectors, and 20 women constables. This is an increase from the current staffing in existing stations, which generally consist of three sub-inspectors, five assistant sub-inspectors, and 10 women constables.
The state's first women police station was opened in Asansol in 2012. Since then, the network has grown to 40 stations. This latest move follows a state budget announcement that aimed to establish women police stations in every subdivision during the current fiscal year.