Punjab Police’s Women Help Desks have received more than 2.31 lakh complaints related to crimes against women and children since their launch, reflecting growing public trust in the state’s gender-sensitive policing initiatives.
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the initiative has made police stations more accessible and women-friendly while ensuring quicker support for victims.
Women Help Desks Operational Across Punjab
Punjab Police has established Women Help Desks in all 424 police stations, including 39 special-purpose police stations, with 848 Punjab Police Mahila Mittars deployed to assist complainants.
According to official data, the help desks have handled 2,31,677 complaints involving crimes against women and children since becoming operational.
Mahila Mittars Handling Majority of Complaints
Between January 1, 2023, and June 30, 2026, the Punjab Grievance Disposal (PGD) Portal received 1,33,152 complaints related to crimes against women and children.
Of these, 99,692 complaints—around 74.8%—were assigned to Punjab Police Mahila Mittars for resolution, highlighting their key role in victim assistance and grievance redressal.
Electric Scooters to Improve Outreach
To strengthen field response, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has approved 93 electric scooters for women police personnel serving under the Mahila Mittar initiative and Women Help Desks.
The scooters were recently flagged off by DGP Gaurav Yadav and are expected to improve outreach and enable faster response to complaints involving women and children.
Victim-Centric Policing Model
Launched in 2021, the Mahila Mittar project was introduced to create a more victim-friendly policing environment for women, children and senior citizens.
Before the initiative, such complaints were largely handled by male police personnel. Punjab Police now also operates 10 Women Police Stations and 15 Women Cells providing counselling, legal guidance and support services.
Independent Assessment Underway
Punjab Police has also partnered with J-PAL and the Hartek Foundation to independently assess the effectiveness of Women Help Desks and identify areas for further improvement.
Special DGP (Community Affairs and Women Affairs) Gurpreet Deo said the initiative has helped bridge the gap between the police and the public by ensuring that victims receive assistance from trained and empathetic women police personnel.
Officials say the initiative has improved reporting of gender-based crimes, strengthened public confidence in policing and enabled timely intervention in cases involving vulnerable sections.
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