In a pioneering decision, the state of Maharashtra will have a first-ever all-women battalion of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) comprising 1,400 women personnel in Katol, Nagpur.
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said, “It has been decided to have the state’s first-ever all-women battalion of 1400 women personnel in Katol. There will be a need of 100 acres of land for the same.”
Maharashtra government will recruit 10,000 constables to strengthen law and order and reduce the stress of the police force. Deshmukh added a 100-acre training academy would be set up and 1,384 women would be recruited.
State deputy CM Ajit Pawar has instructed officials to ensure the recruitment is completed within a year. The announcement to raise an all-women battalion was made in March, with an aim to promote gender equality.
This would help the force to address issues pertaining to violence against women and to provide better security to them.
The SRPF raised on March 6, 1948, as a special armed force of Maharashtra, is male-dominated and does not have an all-woman battalion so far.
“The SRPF is so far a male-dominated force and induction of women would definitely help it to address issues relating to gender-based violence and provide better security to women,” a senior SRPF official told news agency PTI back in March.
