Kolkata: Bidhannagar Police, overseeing the women’s safety task force in Sector V comprising cops and female professionals from IT and BPO sectors in the tech township, launched a 24×7 helpline (9147889454) on Tuesday. This initiative aims at addressing workplace harassment, street misconduct, and the absence of safe late-night travel options for women.Acknowledging the initiative, multiple participating IT and ITes firms in Sector V have started sharing the ‘Dial in Distress’ number among their employees. They have pasted pamphlets and banners on their notice boards and next to elevators. Some offices, like Vibrant Infocom Pvt Ltd, even put up the number on the display screen on their operational floors alongside office notice boards.The development came during the task force’s second meeting on Tuesday, where strategies for prompt action against complaints were discussed. TOI wrote earlier this month about how Bidhannagar Police was in the process of setting up a dedicated women’s safety group in Salt Lake Sector V. A number of senior women from IT and BPO sectors, alongside police officers, have joined the group to tackle growing safety concerns for women professionals working in the area, a senior officer of Bidhannagar City Police said.On Tuesday, a meeting followed by a seminar focusing on women’s safety at workplaces was held with representatives from major companies in Sector V. Attendees included Techno India Group chairperson Manasi Roy Chowdhury, Prediqt co-founder & CEO Subhalakshmi Samanta, and RedoQ branding & PR head Waseka Syeda. Representing Bidhannagar Police were Anish Sarkar, DCP Bidhannagar zone, and Sambiti Chakrabarty, ACP south zone.“Multiple issues ranging from harassment by people coming out of bars near Godrej Waterside buildings to misbehaviours by app bike riders and auto drivers were discussed. It was decided we can raise all these issues on this platform. I have worked at several places in India, but I have never come across an initiative like this,” Samanta told TOI.It was also decided that the group members would physically meet once every two weeks to discuss fresh issues and address grievances. “The discussions focused on acting quickly on complaints and sharing safety information clearly. We also formed a committee with all key groups to improve communication and work together on women’s safety in Sector V, with oversight from the Electronic Complex Police Station,” said a senior officer of Bidhannagar City Police.This initiative comes amid a series of incidents highlighting safety issues faced by women in Sector V. Last week, a female housekeeping staff at a Sector V IT office accused a male colleague of sexual harassment. Earlier this month, a woman and a male friend were attacked following a parking dispute outside a pub. In another case last week, a 21-year-old female employee at a private company filed complaints of repeated sexual harassment, physical assault, and threats from a male colleague.
