Indian Railways has launched “Meri Saheli” initiative for focused action on the security of women across all zones with an objective to provide safety and security to lady passengers.
Such a feedback-based initiative can be replicated in unsafe cities while addressing distress situation.
Meri Saheli Initiative
- The initiative was started as a pilot project in South Eastern Railway in September 2020 and after getting encouraging response from lady passengers.
- An initiative of RPF, the strategy entails interaction with lady passengers especially those travelling alone by a team of lady RPF personnel at the originating station.
- These lady passengers are briefed about all precautions to be taken during the journey and told to dial 182 in case they face or see any problem in the coach.
- The RPF team collects only the seat numbers of the ladies and conveys them to stoppages en-route.
- RPF/RPSF escort onboard also covers all the coaches/identified berths during its duty period.
Based on feedbacks
- RPF teams at the destination collect the feedback from the identified lady passengers.
- The feedback is then analysed and corrective action, if any, is taken.
- If some distress call comes from a train covered under “Meri Saheli” initiative, the disposal of the call is monitored at the level of senior officers.
