During the YSRCP government, Andhra Pradesh had a separate Disha Police Station related to the issues of women. The main motive behind it was that any female could go and lodge her complaint and sort out her problem easily. The new coalition government has renamed the Disha Police Stations as Women’s Police Stations by issuing orders through the Department of Women and Child Welfare.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha had already declared the decision to this effect in June this year. Within a few days of assuming office, she had said the names of the Disha Police Stations in the state would be changed.
The coalition government had renamed many of the initiatives and programmes introduced by the earlier YSRCP administration after coming into power. It was reviving those schemes, too, that were stopped in the name of the earlier regime.
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The government restarted the Anna Canteens started in this State by the previous government from 2014 to 2019. It thus appears that the government is pursuing the same policy of renaming schemes and programmes, by which the YSRCP itself renamed all such welfare schemes after assuming office in 2019.
Why were Disha police stations established? The Disha Police Stations were set up following the horrific incident in the outskirts of Hyderabad where a young medico was raped and murdered most brutally. That case sent shock waves across the country, and the Telangana government had named the victim “Disha.” Later, the ruling YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh brought in the Disha Act to ensure speedy disposal of issues related to women and girls by disposing of complaints within hours. However, the Disha Act had raised objections from the central government.
The then state government converted the existing Women’s Police Stations into Disha Police Stations. Now, the new government under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu has announced to remove the name “Disha” and gave its earlier name “Women’s Police Stations.” It has to be awaited how many more such schemes and initiatives shall be renamed under the current administration.
