Home Minister V. Anitha, along with Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan and SP Tuhin Sinha, unveiling the poster of 'Abhaya' at Nakkapalli on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister V. Anitha on Wednesday launched Abhaya, an initiative aimed at women's safety across Anakapalli district, at a ceremony in Nakkapalli. Collector Vijaya Krishnan, Superintendent of Police, Tuhin Sinha and other police officials attended the programme.According to the police, the initiative was built around several interventions to provide a safer environment for women and girls across the district.Among them are creating awareness by conducting a wide variety of programmes in educational institutions. Another measure is to strengthen the ‘Shakti Beat’ system. As part of it, Mahila Police personnel will regularly visit their assigned areas, counsel women, collect public feedback, and relay the information to the Police Control Room through digital monitoring.The programme also intends to provide continuous support to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment, and other crimes, where Mahila Police will have to visit victim’s homes to offer counselling, monitor their well-being, and collect feedback for follow-up action.As part of ‘Abhaya’, police will also target habitual offenders involved in crimes against women. History sheeters will be kept under continuous surveillance to prevent repeat offences. The initiative also focuses on identifying crime-prone and poorly lit areas and transforming them into safer public spaces.Another component is to monitor social media to identify abusive, derogatory, or offensive posts targeting women, with strict legal action to be taken against those responsible.Speaking during the launch, Ms. Anitha described ‘Abhaya’ as a strong safety shield for women, which aims to create an environment where women can live without fear. She urged women facing harassment or cybercrime to come forward and lodge complaints without hesitation, assuring them that the police would extend full support.Appreciating the efforts of the district police, Ms. Krishnan said the Revenue, Women and Child Development (WCD) Departments would work in close coordination to ensure prompt assistance and effective protection for women.Mr. Sinha said that ‘Abhaya’ was launched with the slogan, ‘Your Safety, Our Responsibility’, along with its five guiding principles – prevent, protect, support, deliver justice and empower.He said that due to the efforts of the police, the district witnessed a decline of 28.42% in the overall crime rate, adding that the police had also introduced One Stop Centres to provide integrated support to women in distress and ‘Awareness on Wheels’ vehicles to spread awareness across the district.Ms. Anitha and other officials unveiled ‘Abhaya’ posters and complaint boxes, enabling women to submit complaints directly to the authorities. The district police also publicised emergency helpline numbers 112 for police assistance, 181 for the Women Helpline, 1098 for the Childline and 1930 to report cybercrime.A dedicated WhatsApp helpline, 7993485111, has also been launched to enable women to submit complaints conveniently at any time. Published - July 15, 2026 07:57 pm IST
