Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 18 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced the launch of the fifth phase of Mission Shakti, a flagship initiative dedicated to women's safety, dignity, and self-reliance. The new phase will commence with the upcoming Sharadiya Navratri on September 22 and will continue for 30 days, according to an official release.
Since its inception in 2020, Mission Shakti has delivered significant results in strengthening women's security and empowerment across Uttar Pradesh. With four successful phases already completed, this new chapter aims to deepen outreach and impact.
Chairing a high-level meeting with senior officials on Wednesday, the Chief Minister directed that the upcoming campaign should include extensive programs carried out through close interdepartmental coordination. He stressed the need to enhance foot patrolling and ensure that all PRV-112 vehicles remain continuously active on the roads.
Senior police officials, including Zonal ADGs, IGs, and DIGs, have been instructed to regularly visit the field, engage with the public, inspect police lines, and participate in patrols. "The people must feel fully protected, while criminals must live under constant fear of the law," the Chief Minister remarked, making it clear that strict action should be taken against offenders without any gender-based discrimination.
Highlighting the pivotal role of the women police force, which now comprises 44,177 personnel, the Chief Minister underscored their importance in maintaining law and order. He directed that, during the 30-day campaign, women beat police officers must visit all 57,000 gram panchayats and 14,000 urban wards in phases.
Accompanied by village heads, councillors, ASHAs, ANMs, Anganwadi workers, and others, these officers will interact directly with women and girls, understand their concerns, and spread awareness about their rights and government welfare schemes. They will also provide guidance on how and where to seek immediate help in emergencies.
Issuing detailed directives, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed that special deployment of women police be ensured at temples, religious sites, fairs, and other public places during Navratri and upcoming festivals. He called for further strengthening of the Anti-Romeo Squad. He directed that strict and exemplary action be taken against miscreants sensitively and fairly, ensuring that only genuine offenders are prosecuted. He stressed that tough measures against those involved in crimes against women are essential to deter repeat offences.
The Chief Minister also directed that dialogues, seminars, and awareness programs on women's safety be organised in every district with the participation of hospitals, industries, schools, colleges, and universities. Students should be sensitised about women's safety and gender equality through interactive sessions and the screening of short films.
Underscoring the need for institutional support, he instructed that efforts to provide legal aid to helpless women prisoners must be made more effective, and strong mechanisms should be established for the swift resolution of crimes against women. Targeted prosecution and fast-tracked trials should be systematically pursued to ensure speedy justice. Every call received on the women's helpline 1090 must be taken with utmost seriousness and resolved satisfactorily.
Directing the establishment of Pink Booths in all municipal corporations, the Chief Minister said that personnel at Mission Shakti Centres must receive specialised training, including modules on gender sensitisation, digital evidence collection, case management, and financial assistance schemes. He added that Pink Booths should function round-the-clock.
At the same time, Mission Shakti Centres must evolve into a comprehensive support system, offering complaint registration, counselling, legal aid, feedback, and follow-up, all under one roof. He emphasised that the campaign's true success would lie in its reach to every village, every ward, and every family.
Highlighting the broader vision, the Chief Minister stated that Mission Shakti is not merely a government program but a holistic social movement to ensure safety, dignity, and empowerment for women. He called upon officials to run this phase in mission mode, guaranteeing protection and respect for every girl in the state.
During the meeting, a detailed presentation was made on the achievements of the previous phase. It was informed that more than 3.44 lakh programs were conducted, with active participation of 2.03 crore women and girls. Additionally, 9,172 women beat and 18,344 women police personnel were deployed. Initiatives such as Women's Helpline 1090, Emergency Service 112, Pink Booths, Pink Scooty and SUV patrolling, Asha Jyoti Kendras, CCTV installations, and panic buttons have all delivered positive results.
It was further informed that, as per the ITSSO (Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences) portal, Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country with a 98.80% disposal rate of cases. The National Conference of Women in Police also passed a resolution to replicate the UP model of Women Helpline 1090 and Mission Shakti in other states.
The last phase of Mission Shakti saw several focused campaigns: Operation Garuda for action against cyber criminals, Operation Bachpan for rescuing 2,857 children and arresting 22 criminals, Operation Majnu which acted against over 74,000 youths, Operation Nasha Mukti that led to more than 40,000 arrests, Operation Raksha which curbed illegal activities in hotels and pubs, and Operation Eagle resulting in the arrest of over 7,000 offenders.