Move over men, Kerala police boost its woman power

Sunday 24 July 2016 05:08 PM IST

by Joji Simon

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Move over men, Kerala police boost its woman power

Kochi: Kerala police have appointed seven women sub inspectors as station house officers in general police stations, in line with the Home Department’s plan to put at least 60 women officers in charge of stations across Kerala.

The move is a quantum leap from the current situation where women officers helm only five women’s police stations in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Alappuzha, Thrissur and Kozhikode. The other women sub inspectors have been put in charge of the women’s cells attached to every police station.

Inspector general Suresh Rajpurohit has issued an order to appoint seven women officers as SHOs in police stations not reserved for women. The order comes with a preamble that claims that the move heralds woman empowerment in the force.

The officers picked to steer the general police stations are K.J. Joshi of the Idukki women’s cell, P.V. Sindhu of Thrissur city, M.D. Anna of Thrissur rural, C. Mallika of the Taliparamba station, C. Seetha of the Kozhikode city women’s cell, Leelamma of the Pathanamthitta station and L. Rama of the Kollam rural women’s cell. All of them belong to the 1991 batch.

They have been promoted to the rank of sub inspectors 10 years ago but had not been entrusted with the SHO’s job in any station. They come to the job after expressing willingness to work as SHOs in general stations.

The Home Department has decided to add 60 women sub inspectors, half of them through direct recruitment and other half through promotions.

Though the state police force has about 55,000 members, less than 5,000 women are part of it.

MY SNAPS

Birds flock the field as a man ploughs it using a tractor at Amballoor in Ernakulam. Photo: Josekutty J Panackal

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