Bhubaneswar: The state police will set 15 chariots (Pari Rathas) rolling across the state May 28 to spread awareness among people to prevent sexual abuse of minor girls.
The 15-day mass sensitisation campaign has been planned with the technical support of Unicef. It will conclude June 12.
The campaign will be flagged off by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
A workshop to train the police personnel, who will accompany the ‘Pari Rathas,’ was organised Monday at the Police Bhawan here in Jayadev Vihar.
Addressing the police officers, the Director General of Police, Rajendra Prashad Sharma, urged them to take up the campaign sincerely and in a mission mode, “not just as part of your duty, but as a social service. As responsible citizens of the state it is our duty to do something good for the little girls whose life is at stake.”
He said that regulations alone cannot end the menace adding that the common masses are required to be educated about the ways to prevent such crime.
He also informed that the culprit is known to the victim in around 90 per cent of child sexual abuse cases. He could be a close relative, a neighbour or a friend of the victim’s family. He instructed the officers to rope in local non-governmental organisations, representatives of people, youth club members and school students and teachers to make the campaign successful.
Speaking on the occasion, Additional Director General of Police for Crime Branch, Santosh Upadhyaya, said that the chariots will try to cover all the village panchayats and blocks of the districts.
The Unicef will supply all propagation materials, including audios and videos and pamphlets for the campaign. The visuals will be displayed on LEDs mounted on the chariots. The team will also organise street plays which will be staged by artistes of the respective district council of culture.
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