13 August,2016 10:33 AM IST | | Agencies
Fighting alcoholism and other social evils in their society for a decade, a special women’s brigade — Mahila Commandos — raised by a voluntary organisation in Chhattisgarh’s Balod district may soon be categorised as Super Police Officers (SPO)
Raipur: Fighting alcoholism and other social evils in their society for a decade, a special women's brigade - Mahila Commandos - raised by a voluntary organisation in Chhattisgarh's Balod district may soon be categorised as Super Police Officers (SPO).
The idea of SPO has been introduced by Balod SP Arif Sheikh Hussain to give a new dimension to the commando concept. On a pilot basis, about 100 women commandos have so far been made SPOs, carrying batons and donning maroon sarees and caps, a senior police official said, adding that a proposal has been sent to the state government to raise around 1,000 SPOs.
The foundation of women commandos was laid by Shamshad Begum, a prominent social activist, in 2006 from her native place in Guderdehi development block when it was part of undivided Durg district (now in Balod). "Make future generation free of liquor" is the motto of these women commandos, who are active in about 300 villages in the district's Gunderdehi, Gurur and Balod development blocks. Now, their operation is being expanded to around 150 villages of Patan block.
"Armed with sticks and torches, about 30-40 commandos conduct patrolling in their respective villages till late night to check illegal liquor sale. When they come across any inebriated person, they try to convince him to quit liquor addiction," Begum said.
