A month after releasing a three-digit emergency number for women in Delhi, the Government today said it will make available the ‘181’ women's helpline number to all States in the country.
“We will give a single emergency number 181 to women across the country,” Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal told presspersons here.
According to sources, Sibal is expected to write to all Chief Ministers about the Ministry’s decision to allocate the three-digit number 181 to all States so that it can be made a national helpline for women.
After allocation of the emergency number, the State Governments would be required to set up their call centres.
“The Telecom Department will make available the number to all States, which are than required to set up call centres so that the number becomes operational across the country,” sources added.
Amidst a nationwide uproar over the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old paramedic student in the national Capital, the Telecom Ministry in December released a three-digit women's helpline number, 167, in Delhi.
The number, however, was changed to ‘181’ as the Ministry felt it would be easier to recollect.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had requested that a three-digit phone number be allotted for helping women in distress.
This was the first three-digit number to have been allotted in two years by the Ministry.
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.