VIJAYAWADA: The state government on Wednesday issued a GO, framing service rules for Mahila Police by recognising it as a separate cadre within the Police Department. The Mahila Police cadre will have five ranks as per the Andhra Pradesh Mahila Police (Subordinate Service) Rules, 2021. They include Mahila Police, Senior Mahila Police, Assistant Sub-Inspector (Mahila Police), Sub-Inspector (Mahila Police) and Inspector (Mahila Police). The rank of Inspector (Mahila Police) is the highest in the cadre, which is a non-gazetted post.
Principal Home Secretary (Incharge) G Vijaya Kumar said Mahila Police will strive to curb crimes against women/girls and children. They report to police and encourage community members to be responsible to create a safe environment for women, girls and children. The new set of rules has been framed in the backdrop of the ongoing case in the High Court challenging the GO issued by the government in June last year, designating women protection secretaries as Mahila Police by amending the service rules issued in 2019.
The government had incorporated new clauses in the Andhra Pradesh (Grama Mahila Samrakshana Karyadarsi) Subordinate Service Rules, 2019, stating that Mahila Police would be given the same uniform and powers of a lady constable, which was objected by petitioners. During the case hearing in December last year, the government informed the High Court that it is considering bringing out a new GO on the matter and sought time. In the new rules, the government has not referred Mahila Police as lady constables.
The new rules are in supersession of all the rules issued earlier in 2019 and 2021 related to creation of the Mahila Police Service, the GO said. In 2019, the government appointed nearly 15,000 women in village and ward secretariats and called them women protection secretaries (WPS). District Collectors were entrusted with the task of recruiting WPS. As per the new rules, Mahila Police will be recruited by the police range concerned.
The Grama Mahila Samrakshana KaryadarsiWard Mahila Samrakshana Karyadarsi recruited as per the 2019 rules has now been re-designated as Mahila Police, irrespective of fulfilling the eligibility criteria, particularly with regard to academic qualification and physical parameters, the GO stated.
With regard to the new eligibility criteria, the candidate should have a degree as the basic academic qualification for recruitment as Mahila Police. The maximum age limit for general candidates is 28. While in the previous service rules, no training was made necessary for recruitment as Mahila Police, the fresh rules mandate that the new recruits should undergo training for three months.
“They shall undergo all indoor and outdoor training without any break and show satisfactory progress/performance during the training period. On successful completion of the three-month training and passing out the prescribed test, there will be one month attachment to various field units relevant to them in the district, which will also include one week attachment to an NGO dealing with woman and child issues,’’ the government said. Candidates need to submit a security bond for `5,000 on a non-judicial stamp paper stating that they shall serve the department for three years from the date of appointment.