Odisha Gets 16 Child-Friendly Police Stations, 18 More To Function Soon

Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik declared 16 child-friendly police stations and said that 18 more children-friendly stations would start functioning soon in the state.

Patnaik also announced a Sampark Help Desk to address the issues of gender violence by providing psychosocial support to the survivors of sexual violence.

The child-friendly police stations were set up at the Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW & CW). According to the Indian Police Service Additional Director General (IPS ADG) of CAW & CW Rekha Lohani, the police stations were developed in order to provide the children with a friendly atmosphere.

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Child-Friendly Police Stations

The 16 police stations in the different districts had child-friendly amenities such as a library filled with age-appropriate books, swings, soft toys, and washrooms. The stations also provide a separate breastfeeding corner for lactating mothers.

Lohani added that the initiative aimed to make minors comfortable while lodging complaints with the police without fear. The measures aim to ease the fear and mental pressure of children visiting the police stations.

The child-friendly police stations were set up in Bhubaneswar and Jagatsinghpur, Jharsuguda, Nayagarh, Aska, Jajpur Road, Soro, Rairangpur, Binika, Bhawanipatna Sadar, Deogarh, Rourkela, Bhenkanal town, Keonjhar town, Nalco in Angul, and Padmapur in Bargarh police stations in Odisha.

An image of the station in Jharsugda showed that the area was decorated with balloons along with a poster of Chhota Bheem. There was a children's basketball hoop, cricket bat and balls, and books.

The Sampark Help Desk was initiated with technical collaboration from United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The desk will help survivors connect with support agencies in the district such as Childline, One Stop Centres, District Child Protection Unit, and District Social Welfare Office and with district mental health professionals.

Lohani added that the initiative would inform the survivors about their rights and what they are entitled to.

Lohani said the Odisha government had approved the organisation’s short-term expansion and scaling up of its capacity to meet the needs of the public. Audiovisuals were also created to raise community awareness regarding mental health and children protection issues.