West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced two initiatives — ‘Pink Booths’ and ‘SHINING’ — to bolster Kolkata’s reputation as one of the safest cities in the country.
The two services that will be operational from Saturday evening will benefit women, especially those travelling after late-night work.
The ‘Pink Booths’, exclusively run by women officers, will offer direct assistance to women at key intersections from evening till midnight.
‘SHINING’ is an all-women mobile patrol team that will monitor the EM Bypass and other major roads from 8 pm to 2 am.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to social media to share the launch of women-friendly initiatives, aimed at increasing their safety and confidence.
“First, several all-women Pink Booths at key city intersections will be commissioned and be operational from evening to midnight, today onwards. My sisters in the city will be able to connect directly with the lady officers of KP for any assistance in these booths.
Second, today evening onwards, several ‘SHINING’ (as I have named them) all-women mobile patrol teams will also be on duty from 8 pm to 2 am, patrolling E M Bypass and other major city roads used by my working sisters during night hours,” she stated on X.
She said Kolkata continues to be the safest city in the country over the years, and that the two new initiatives will go a long way in furthering the same.
The CM said the initiatives will cater to the security of women who work late at night, as it ensures they return home safely.
Initially, ‘Pink Booths’ will be located at five major intersections, but the number will be increased in the future, Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar told reporters.
The five booths, all under CCTV feed, will come up at Shyambazar Five Point, Kankurgachi, Hudco, Gariahat, and Behala Chowrasta.
Women officers will be stationed at pink booths from 5 pm to 11 pm, he said. The booths will have a telephone, a first-aid box, a changing room, and a washroom for women.
Important telephone numbers like those of the closest police station, hospital, bus routes, and Metro station will also be displayed at the booths.
Regarding the all-women patrolling squad, Sarkar said, “SHINING cars will be patrolling the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and some other major roads which can be used by women while returning home from work. We already have ‘Winners’ who are there on motorbikes. The CM, herself, had given this name, like the name ‘Winners’ given to the motorbike squad”.
He said SHINING cars will be continuously monitored from the control room, and their 8 am-2 am patrol timings can change according to the situation.
“We feel that if women, while returning home late at night, notice women in uniform patrolling, they will feel more secure. For us, it is important to ensure that all women of Kolkata are safe and secure. We are starting this pilot project with five vehicles, but the numbers will rise so that the entire city is covered,” the officer said.
The all-women Winners team was formed on July 11, 2018, to prevent crime against women in the areas under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police. From 2022, the Winners unit of Kolkata Police, armed with Glock or 9mm pistols, was deployed for night patrols and night raids.