Amaravati, Feb. 24: YSRC leader P Shiv Shankar Reddy criticised the TDP-led government in Andhra Pradesh for scrapping the Disha women’s protection app, introduced during the previous regime, and replacing it with a new app called ‘Suraksha’.During a recent review meeting with senior police officials, state Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha outlined specific guidelines for developing the Suraksha app, sparking a war of words with the YSRC.The Minister instructed officials to launch the Suraksha app by International Women’s Day on March 8 and mandated the formation of Suraksha teams in every district, along with round-the-clock monitoring.“Significant steps were taken by the YSRC government under former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, including the launch of the Disha app,” said Shiv Shankar Reddy, questioning the need for a new app when Disha already had dedicated police stations and vehicles.Criticising the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led government for alleged negligence toward rising crimes against women, the YSRC leader accused it of making the Disha app “ineffective”.According to Reddy, the Disha app had over 1.5 crore downloads and provided “immediate assistance to women in distress”.Instead of “duplicating efforts”, he urged the government to optimise existing resources.The Disha app was launched by the previous government following the 2019 rape and murder of a veterinarian on the outskirts of Hyderabad.It featured an SOS button that alerted the nearest police patrol car and allowed users to trigger an alarm by shaking their phones five times.During a recent women’s safety seminar at Maris Stella College in Vijayawada, students were informed that the Disha app was no longer functional.Reaffirming the NDA alliance government’s commitment to women’s safety, Anitha, during the review meeting, discussed setting up women’s help desks, a dedicated wing, deploying the necessary police force, and providing specialised training for their protection.She directed officials to establish a 24×7 call center for women’s protection, to be monitored by DSP-rank officials, among other initiatives.
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