0 Women's helpline number 181

The new helpline for women (i.e.) 181 has finally started in Delhi. There were some glitches this morning, but it is now finally working.

Sprawling ads in every single lead in Delhi today, telling the nation of the Delhi cares for women. The ads claimed “Never again will the city allow anymore brutal attacks on its young woman”, “If you were women in distress, you can dial 181”, which is the chief minister’s helpline number. An initiative which many say, “comes too late, but it is extremely welcome”. However this morning, the day of the launch (i.e.) the last day of 2012 the helpline ran into a series of glitches and sources in the Delhi government blamed the MTNL for the glitch over the launch of the helpline number.

Finally at 6 PM the number did become operational. 181 can be dialed from the land-lines and mobile phones around the clock. It’ll operate from the chief minister’s office and will be connected to all 185 police stations in the city. If the Delhi police is not under the chief minister, who will respond to the SOS (an urgent appeal for help) from these women?  What will be the response anyway? Unlike all other initiatives taken by the government in the past, how will they make people more aware of this number? The helpline will be handled by the both female and male operators, with several questions remain about the operational ability of the helpline.