The committee set up to advice the Telangana Government on the issue of women safety has called for barring porn sites that are found to be abutting crimes against women.

In its report submitted to the Government on Saturday, the committee called for starting a three-digit emergency phone number to attend to the distress calls by women.

The committee includes senior IAS officers Poonam Malakondaiah, Smita Sabharwal, Shailaja Ramaiyer, Sunil Sharma; and IPS officers Soumya Mishra, Charu Sinha and Swati Lakra.

Set up by the Telangana Government, the committee has been asked to study the issue, hold the discussions with stakeholders and come out with measures that can strengthen the safety net.

After studying over 60 State and Central laws and provisions in the Indian Penal Code that were meant to safeguard the interests of women, the committee felt that the Government must ensure all the business and shopping establishments allow their women staffers to leave by 8 pm or provide them transport facility.

It felt that the State introduce a reservation of 33 per cent for women in the police force to increase their numbers in the police force. If need be, the State can consider relaxing the qualifications to attract the women into the police force.

The State should also start a '24-hour one-stop support centres’ to provide support and assistance to all women. This can be integrated with this Women Helpline.

Woman in distress due to dowry harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault or child victims or any other such atrocity can approach the centre.

These centres should have a counsellor, a lady advocate with ten years of practice and police personnel headed by a lady deputy superintendent of police.

In addition, each centre will have a mutli-disciplinary mobile team which would be linked with the helpline. This will ensure an organic link of these one stop support centres with the women help lines.

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