Telangana launches SPANDANA Teams to respond to women, children emergencies

Revanth Reddy said that 80 per cent of violence and atrocities against the women and children were being perpetrated by people under the influence of addictive substances like synthetic drugs, ganja and alcohol.

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday, April 27, launched the “SPANDANA (Takshana Rakshana) Teams,” a dedicated police initiative to respond to emergency situations involving women and children, and simultaneously directed the department to rope in the city’s long-standing peace committees in the fight against the growing drug menace.

The SPANDANA teams, unveiled at the Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) here, will serve as first responders to distress calls made on the 100 and 112 helplines, equipped not just to handle emergencies but also to provide emotional support and counselling to victims. 

The launch follows the formation of SHE Teams and the “Stand With Her” initiative rolled out on Women’s Day, March 8.

“These teams should instil confidence in victims that society is with them and will punish the criminals,” Revanth Reddy said, adding that no society could flourish where women did not feel secure in pursuing education, running businesses or carrying out their daily responsibilities.

Drug crises

Turning to the drug crisis, the Chief Minister said 80 per cent of violence and atrocities against women and children were being perpetrated by people under the influence of synthetic drugs, ganja, alcohol and other addictive substances. He directed the police to activate peace committees – neighbourhood bodies that have played a key role in maintaining communal harmony in Hyderabad for decades – to coordinate intelligence on drug use and sale in their localities.

Revanth Reddy warned that Telangana must not go the way of Punjab, where drug consumption had at one point touched 70 per cent of the population. “We may not feel like speaking out openly about some things, but we need to,” he said.

He called on the police to make an example of celebrities found consuming drugs. “If you find any celebrities consuming drugs, put them in jail for a year by filing case after case on them. If fear and responsibility are not there in the people, it creates recklessness,” he said. “I don’t care about anyone, I don’t spare anyone.”

The Chief Minister also appealed to schools to obtain a written undertaking from students at the time of admission, pledging not to use drugs or synthetic substances. He urged NGOs and corporates to direct their CSR efforts towards running the rehabilitation centres being set up by the state government.