Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Jan 3: Udupi district formally launched the government’s flagship initiative ‘Akka Pade’ on Saturday, January 3, aimed at protecting women and children in distress.
The programme was inaugurated at the office of the deputy commissioner in Manipal by Udupi deputy commissioner Swaroopa T K, who flagged off the Akka Pade team, marking the official commencement of the initiative in the district.
Speaking at the event, Swaroopa described the project as a significant step towards women’s safety and empowerment, emphasising that it would provide timely relief to children who are victims of abuse.
Addressing the gathering, Udupi SP Hariram Shankar explained that the Akka Squad would consist of four women Home Guards along with a police staff driver. He noted that police inspectors and officials from the women and child welfare department, who had earlier trained the Abbakka Squad formed in Udupi in 2020 for women’s safety, had also trained the Akka Squad personnel. The squad will function in both day and night shifts.
The initiative is designed to provide immediate protection and assistance to vulnerable women and children at risk or in distress, serving as both a responsive safety unit and an educational force within society. Its objectives include offering timely support to victims of abuse, violence, neglect, or exploitation; promoting safety, dignity, and empowerment in both public and private spaces; creating awareness about rights, laws, safety measures, and available support systems; and preventing crimes against women and children to foster a fear-free environment through legal protection.
Trained Akka Pade teams will patrol sensitive areas and respond promptly to distress calls involving women and children. They will conduct awareness campaigns in schools, colleges, markets, and neighbourhoods on issues such as gender equality, child protection, legal rights, helplines, and reporting mechanisms.
The teams will coordinate with child welfare committees, women’s helplines, NGOs, legal aid services, and shelter homes to provide counselling and rehabilitation support, establishing a friendly and trustworthy presence in the community to encourage victims and families to seek help without fear.
At the district level, the Akka Pade teams, composed of women Home Guards, will operate in close coordination with local police. Members will be deployed in schools, colleges, girls’ and women’s hostels, bus and railway stations, local markets, tourist spots, places of worship, and other sensitive locations to provide proactive protection.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Pratheek Bayal, IAS, chief executive officer of Udupi Zilla Panchayat, deputy director of the department of women and child development Anuradha, and other senior officials.