Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi launches Mission Shakti's 5th phase during Sharadiya Navratri
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 8 (HBTV): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced the launch of the fifth phase of Mission Shakti, a flagship initiative dedicated to women’s safety, dignity, and self-reliance. The new phase will commence with the upcoming Sharadiya Navratri on September 22 and continue for 30 days, according to an official release.
Since its inception in 2020, Mission Shakti has significantly strengthened women’s security and empowerment across Uttar Pradesh. With four successful phases completed, the new chapter aims to expand outreach and impact.
Chairing a high-level meeting with senior officials on Wednesday, the Chief Minister directed that the upcoming campaign should involve extensive interdepartmental coordination. He emphasised the need for enhanced foot patrolling and directed that all PRV-112 vehicles remain continuously active on the roads.
Senior police officials, including Zonal ADGs, IGs, and DIGs, were instructed to regularly visit the field, engage with the public, inspect police lines, and join patrols. ‘The people must feel fully protected, while criminals must live under constant fear of the law,’ the Chief Minister stated, adding that strict action must be taken against offenders without gender-based discrimination.
Highlighting the pivotal role of the women police force, which now comprises 44,177 personnel, the Chief Minister underscored their importance in maintaining law and order. He directed that, during the 30-day campaign, women beat police officers should visit all 57,000 gram panchayats and 14,000 urban wards in phases.
Accompanied by village heads, councillors, ASHAs, ANMs, and Anganwadi workers, these officers will interact with women and girls, understand their concerns, and raise awareness about their rights and government welfare schemes. They will also guide them on how and where to seek immediate help in emergencies.
Issuing detailed directives, Adityanath instructed special deployment of women police at temples, religious sites, fairs, and other public places during Navratri and upcoming festivals. He called for strengthening the Anti-Romeo Squad and ordered strict, fair action against miscreants, ensuring that only genuine offenders are prosecuted. He stressed that tough measures against those involved in crimes against women are crucial to deter repeat offences.
The Chief Minister also directed that dialogues, seminars, and awareness programmes on women’s safety be organised in every district with participation from hospitals, industries, schools, colleges, and universities. Students are to be sensitised about women’s safety and gender equality through interactive sessions and the screening of short films.
Underscoring the need for institutional support, he instructed that legal aid to women prisoners be made more effective and strong mechanisms established for the swift resolution of crimes against women. He also called for targeted prosecution and fast-tracked trials to ensure speedy justice, adding that every call received on the women’s helpline 1090 must be handled with utmost seriousness.
Directing the establishment of Pink Booths in all municipal corporations, Adityanath said that personnel at Mission Shakti Centres must receive specialised training, including modules on gender sensitisation, digital evidence collection, case management, and financial assistance schemes. He said the Pink Booths should operate round the clock.
He further stated that Mission Shakti Centres should evolve into comprehensive support hubs offering complaint registration, counselling, legal aid, feedback, and follow-up, all under one roof. He emphasised that the campaign’s true success would lie in its reach to every village, ward, and family.
Highlighting the broader vision, the Chief Minister said Mission Shakti is not merely a government programme but a social movement to ensure safety, dignity, and empowerment for women. He called on officials to run this phase in mission mode to guarantee protection and respect for every girl in the state.
During the meeting, officials presented a detailed report on the previous phase’s achievements, noting that over 3.44 lakh programmes were conducted with the participation of 2.03 crore women and girls. Additionally, 9,172 women beat and 18,344 women police personnel were deployed. Initiatives such as the Women’s Helpline 1090, Emergency Service 112, Pink Booths, Pink Scooty and SUV patrolling, Asha Jyoti Kendras, CCTV installations, and panic buttons have all yielded positive outcomes.
It was further reported that, as per the ITSSO (Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences) portal, Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country with a 98.80% disposal rate of cases. The National Conference of Women in Police also passed a resolution to replicate the UP model of the Women’s Helpline 1090 and Mission Shakti in other states.
The last phase of Mission Shakti included several focused campaigns such as Operation Garuda against cybercriminals, Operation Bachpan for rescuing 2,857 children, Operation Majnu which acted against over 74,000 youths, Operation Nasha Mukti leading to more than 40,000 arrests, Operation Raksha targeting illegal activities in hotels and pubs, and Operation Eagle resulting in the arrest of over 7,000 offenders. (ANI)