July 17: Call up the DGP for an appointment and he says he does not meet an individual reporter, then proceed to meet the police’s chief public relations officer (CPRO) and you are referred to an additional DGP who divulges nothing. And the information sought? The number of women on the rolls of the city police.

Going by the escalating crimes against women, including the July 9 molestation incident on G S Road, the question arises whether the Assam police have enough women to deal with the situation. However, a quick reply seems to elude.

When contacted by The Telegraph the chief PRO of Assam police, K. Borgohain, said he did not know it and ADGP (administration) R. Chandranathan was the right person to answer. When contacted over phone, Chandranathan refused to oblige.

Harekrishna Deka, who had served the Assam police as DGP, however, knows the reality.

“The way incidents of crime against women have increased over the years the present staff of women police is too small to deal with the situation. The number of women police officials should be one-third of the total strength in every police station in the city and they should not be from the existing manpower. They should be newly recruited and well trained,” said Deka.

“Earlier, incidents like kidnapping and molestation took place mostly in the rural areas. But these days such incidents have increased rapidly in urban areas and in the city,” said the former DGP.

Deka said the city police were now a “tired force” and suffering from shortage of manpower and lack of proper equipment.

He said an expert committee had suggested the state government three years ago to create 23 more police stations and nine divisions in the city in addition to the present police stations. “The expert committee had even submitted a draft act in 2009 to redesign the entire police administration anew. But why did the state government not submit the draft act in the Assembly?”

Deka questioned the move to change the city SSP. “What will the new SSP do if there is not enough manpower and proper infrastructure in place?” he said.

Like the police department, the district administration and the judiciary too have fewer women employees to make them “sensitive” to women concerns.

It is believed that the few women who are at the helm or thereabouts also do not have enough voice.

For instance, women do hold the positions of additional deputy commissioners, magistrates and even judge of the Gauhati High Court, but they are far outnumbered by men, who hold majority of the senior positions in the government as well as private offices here.

“Women definitely hold important posts in the district administration, the judiciary as well as various other government departments. But it would definitely help in achieving women empowerment in the actual sense of the term if more women are recruited to the senior positions, which are at present mostly held by men. Taking into account the rising incidence of various crimes against women, it is essential that more women are employed in the law enforcement agencies and judiciary,” said Indrani Bhattacharya, an advocate.

Former DGP G M Shrivastava said, “Women empowerment should be encouraged in all forms. Reserving a certain percentage of posts for women is desirable. When women hold important positions in different fields, people find them in authority and performing efficiently. This will bring about an attitudinal change in the mindset of the society which is used to seeing women in a different light.”

According to CMO sources, six women hold key positions in the state home department and the CMO. Women comprise 30 per cent of officials at the Assam secretariat.