Delhi Police will shortly hire 6,000 people, with 50% of them being women.

Delhi Police will shortly hire 6,000 people, with 50% of them being women.

The Delhi Police announced on Thursday that it will soon hire over 6,000 officers, including 3,000 women, to strengthen police in the nation's capital during a meeting on women's safety presided over by LG VK Saxena.

Saxena emphasised the importance of boosting the proportion of female police officers in the force.

According to a statement from the LG's Office, the LG also ordered for more and visible enforcement, accelerated construction of facilities for fast-track courts dealing with women's safety problems, and integration of street lights with the 311 applications.

Saxena ordered the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to finish the project after learning that 1,406 dark areas in the city had not yet been lit up.

Reviewing the matter of illumination of dark spots and timely repair of street lights, the LG expressed dismay that something as basic as street lights, repair and maintenance, which should happen in the normal course, was being discussed and decided at his level, according to the statement.

He was also apprised by the officials that the 32 judges were appointed in fast-track courts for women safety, but there was an “acute shortage” of courtrooms for the functioning of the courts.

The Public Works Department (PWD) informed the LG that the matter related to the construction of courtrooms was pending with the Delhi government, since 2017-18, and no decision has been taken in this regard till now, it said.

Saxena said he will take up with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal the issue along with the delay in the replacement of street lights with LEDs.

He emphasised the need to augment campaigns of sensitizing young and adolescent boys through gender workshops and amended curricula by the Education department and other agencies concerned, with the view of mitigating social mores and practices that encourage objectification of women, the statement said.

It was also informed in the meeting that the disposal of cases by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) had improved significantly since the last meeting of the task force on women safety.

The meeting was attended by Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal and senior police and administrative officers.