The Madhya Pradesh high court has issued notices to the chief secretary and director general of police (DGP) expressing severe concern over a PIL alleging non-availability of separate washrooms and toilets for women police personnel at police stations across the state. These two respondents have been asked to submit their reply within four weeks.
Petitioner Amitabh Gupta said he was concerned about the plight of women police personnel as there are no adequate facility of washrooms or retiring rooms in police station and outposts.
“The failure of state to provide these facilities is an example of apathy towards the basic requirements of working women,” he said in his written submission before the court, adding the common washrooms that some of the police stations have, are in extremely unhygienic condition. “This is something which is directly related to the dignity of a working women. It cannot be expected from a woman to discharge her duties without basic necessities,” he added.
Gupta has also enclosed a TOI’s report (dated March 28) based on CAG’s finding on the matter. CAG had highlighted that out of 365 police stations (PS) and 189 outposts (OP) in selected districts, separate retiring rooms for women police personnel are available in just 162 police stations while only 170 PSs/OPs have separate toilets. Moreover, PS/OP lack basic amenities such as toilet and rest rooms for women personnel.
In the course of CAG’s interview, 48 out of 50 women police personnel cited unavailability of separate toilets and/or separate retiring rooms to cause inconvenience while having adverse impact on their work and making them insecure. A model design of urban, semi-urban and rural police stations as approved by the director general of police that provision for separate toilet facilities for women police personnel, has been made, but the provision for women’s washrooms was earmarked only for urban police stations from 2014-15, said the report.
According to the ministry of home affairs, it was announced in 2014 that provision has been made for toilet facilities for women police personnel in police stations, outposts and barracks as well as a rest room in every police station. However, the additional chief secretary in his reply to the CAG report said provision for separate toilets for women was made for buildings during 2011-16.
