Chandigarh, Dec 3 (IANS): Amid growing concern over women's safety, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced free police help to drop women safely home if they are stranded outside between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The statewide facility will be available on dialling 100, 112 and 181, through which the woman caller will be connected immediately to the police control room (PCR).

The Chief Minister has directed Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta to ensure the implementation of the facility across the state.

The pick-up and drop facility will be available to the women who do not have access to a safe vehicle, including a taxi or a three-wheeler.

To give the woman caller a sense of total security, the Chief Minister has directed that at least one woman police officer should accompany her during the transportation.

Dedicated PCR vehicles will be made available at the Commissionerates, as well as Mohali, Patiala, Bathinda and other major towns in the state for the implementation of the scheme, said the DGP.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner (Crime Against Women) will be the nodal officer to implement the scheme in each district.

Their numbers would be available on the government and Punjab Police websites.

Additional Director General (Crime) Gurpreet Deo will be the state nodal officer for the facility.

The directions have come amid the nationwide public outcry over the rape and murder of a Telangana vet, who was abducted, gang-raped and then set afire by the accused.

Expressing shock over the incident, the Chief Minister said his government was committed to ensuring the safety and security of women and would take all possible steps to prevent such incidents.