Kolkata: The Kolkata Police, as part of its measures to ensure women’s safety, will be setting up several ‘hotline kiosks’ in the city, which would enable those in distress to immediately get in touch with its control room in Lalbazar over a free video call, a senior officer said.
The kiosks, equipped with a computer-operated system, will be operational 24 hours a day, the police officer said.
One such kiosk was Tuesday inaugurated in Alipore near the city’s zoological park, one of the popular tourist spots in the metropolis.
“The booths will have a 24X7 computerised complaint facility. A woman in distress can avail help any time. Every kiosk will be connected to Lalbazar control room, which will then inform the local police station for quick action. A woman need not visit a police station,” he said.
An officer will be posted at the kiosk to assist the complainants.
Each kiosk will be set up at a cost of Rs 9 lakh, the senior police officer said.
“One just needs to press the button on the LCD screen at the kiosk and the call will be directed to the control room. A formal complaint will be lodged immediately and a text, too, with the details of the complaint will be sent to the woman’s mobile phone,” he added.
PTI