Delhi: AAP To Deploy 'Mohalla Marshals', Set Up SC/ST Women Cell

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Friday announced to set up an SC/ST women welfare cell and deploy ‘mohalla marshals’ in the city to ensure women safety. The announcement was made by Delhi cabinet minister Rajendra Pal Gautam after taking inputs from Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal.

"In our guarantee card, women safety is the topmost priority. The plan is to set up ‘mohalla marshals’ and strengthening mahila panchayats in the upcoming months," the Women and Child Development minister said.

The role of ‘mohalla marshals’ will be a revolutionary step in ensuring the overall security and safety at the grassroots level, according to an official statement.

The ‘mohalla marshals’ will be a security layer between police and citizens to help women and senior citizens feel safer. They will work in shifts all day.

“We have conducted a pilot project on ‘mohalla marshals’ in Burari wherein civil defense officers conducted regular checks in those locations which were the most vulnerable and from where we received the maximum complaints. The results were outstanding and should be implemented across all 70 Vidhan Sabhas,” Maliwal said.

Gautam has also asked DCW to set up a special SC/ST women welfare cell in the Commission that will work towards the welfare of women from the community.

“Seeing the atrocities on women from the SC/ST community, we welcome the idea of the WCD Minister and will add a special cell which will work towards the welfare and offer protection to women from the SC/ST community,” Maliwal added.

AAP back to power

The AAP won 62 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged the remaining eight seats. The Congress drew a blank for the second consecutive time.

As the AAP bagged 62 out of the 70 seats, leaders cutting across party lines, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Naveen Patnaik (BJD) and MK Stalin (DMK) had congratulated Kejriwal for the victory.

(With Agency Inputs)