Andhra Pradesh Govt. weighing options on how to utilise Mahila Samrakshana Karyadarshis, says Home Minister 

Ambiguity in overall control of their duties and service matters resulted in immense distress for the MSKs, says Home Minister

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said the government was mulling whether to bring the 13,815 ‘Mahila Samrakshana Karyadarshis’ (MSKs) under the purview of the Police Department or the Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) Department, thereby relieving them of the distress caused by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government.

It was during the YSRCP regime that the MSKs were recruited to help the police to “protect women and girls”, but they were burdened with multiple other duties leading up to their conversion into Mahila Police, according to the Home Minister.

Replying to a question asked in the Assembly on Wednesday by TDP MLAs Koona Ravi Kumar, Miriyala Sirisha Devi, Reddeppa Gari Madhavi, Tangirala Sowmya, Nelavala Vijayasree and Gowru Charitha Reddy about the future of the MSKs, Ms. Anitha said the system of MSKs was flawed in the sense that they were supposed to report to the Ward and Village Secretaries though the powers of their administration were with the Police Department, and they had to draw salaries and seek permission for leave from the MPDOs and approach the District Collectors if they wanted transfers.

Seven writ petitions that challenged the said conversion of MSKs into Mahila Police were pending in courts, Ms. Anitha said, adding that the ambiguity in the overall control of their duties and service matters had resulted in immense distress for the MSKs.

“They were terrified by the manner in which the YSRCP government sought to utilise their services but their grievances fell on deaf ears. The NDA government will come up with a plan to get the MSKs to do what they were originally meant to after thorough discussions,” she said.

Published - November 13, 2024 08:30 pm IST