Patna, March 26: Women are sitting pretty in what was once considered a man’s domain.

The Bihar government has given nine women IPS officers key field posts — some of them assignments in districts considered to be tough for policing.

Prior to the transfer of IPS officers on Monday night, as many as 10 women IPS officers were posted outside the police headquarters. A 1995 batch officer Malar Vizhi, who was posted as deputy inspector-general (DIG) of Saran range, was promoted to the rank of inspector-general and appointed as IG (Provision) in the police headquarters.

At present, only two women IPS officers, both in the rank of IG — Anupama Nilekar Chandra (IG, Budget) and Malar Vizhi, are posted in the police headquarters while nine of them are in the field. Sources in the headquarters said this was the first time in recent history that such a large number of women officers have been posted outside the headquarters.

In contrast, neighbouring Jharkhand has posted only two female IPS officers in the field. In Bengal, only two women officers of the rank of SP and above have been posted in the field.

Bihar DGP Abhayanand had earlier told The Telegraph that he encouraged young women IPS officers in key field posts. “The young officers were posted as SPs in the districts on an experimental basis. I have found that these officers not only work sincerely, but are also sensitive towards people’s grievances,” he had told this reporter earlier.

It would be a litmus test for the three women IPS officers — Harpreet Kaur, Kim and Dhurath Sayali Sawlaram — who have been posted as the district chiefs of Begusarai, Purnea and Jehanabad respectively. These posting were, until a few years ago, a man’s domain.

While Begusarai and Jehanabad are infested with Maoists, Purnea is notorious for trans-border smuggling and terrorist activities. In addition, these districts are politically sensitive and “tough” to handle. Meenu Kumari is posted as SP, Sheikhpura, known for the stone quarrying mafia.

K.S. Anupam, a 1998 batch officer, has been posted as DIG, railways. She has been posted at a time when incidents of eve-teasing and sexual harassment on trains have suddenly gone up and come under the public glare.

Natasha Guria is posted as the commandant of the Mounted Military Police (MMP) stationed at Ara. She was earlier posted as SP, Gopalganj. Garima Malik, former Darbhanga SSP, is now the commandant of the Bihar Military Police’s second battalion stationed at Dehri-on-Sone in Rohtas.

Malik’s batchmate, S. Premlatha, former Lakhisarai SP, has been given the charge of commandant of the BMP’s first battalion stationed in Patna (read Gorkha battalion). The seniormost woman IPS officer, Shobha Ohatker (1990 batch), is posted as IG in the vigilance cell of the Bihar State Power (Holding) Company Ltd in Patna.