Chennai, May 11:
Tamilnadu Government announced the formation of the “Singappen” special task force for women’s safety, headed by an Inspector General of Police (IGP) rank officer.
The task force was among the initiatives announced by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay after his swearing-in.
He had also announced the formation of special units to intensify the crackdown on narcotics across the state.
According to a GO (Government Order), the Singappen task force will identify vulnerable and crime-prone areas, carry out surveillance, and deploy personnel in locations frequently visited by women, such as bus stands, railway stations, and educational institutions.
The ‘Singappen’ special task force will comprise 36 sanctioned posts headed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The remaining 35 posts, including one Superintendent of Police, two Deputy Superintendents of Police, four Inspectors, eight Sub-Inspectors and 20 personnel from other ranks, will be filled through redeployment from the existing police force.
The force was created “with prevention and protection as its primary and singular goal to improve women’s safety,” the order stated. The force will also receive complaints related to women’s safety and coordinate rescue and awareness initiatives with government departments and NGOs.The order stated that the initiative was aimed at improving women’s safety and instilling confidence among women.
The government is also likely to establish special Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) stations across the state. The expanded network is expected to intensify enforcement, improve intelligence gathering, and strengthen coordinated action against drug trafficking.
Earlier, Chief Minister Vijay chaired a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat here to assess the prevailing law and order situation across Tamil Nadu, signalling the new government’s intent to closely monitor policing, women’s safety and anti-drug enforcement from the outset of its tenure.
The meeting assumed significance as it was among the first major administrative reviews conducted by Vijay within hours of assuming office as Chief Minister, underscoring the priority being accorded to internal security and public order by the new dispensation.
The review comes after Vijay’s public assertion that law and order, women’s security and curbing the drug menace would remain among the government’s immediate priorities.
During the meeting, Vijay held extensive discussions with senior officials on the State’s existing law and order climate, inter-departmental coordination and enforcement preparedness. Particular emphasis was laid on strengthening women’s safety measures and intensifying action against offences linked to narcotic substances and drug abuse.
According to the statement issued by the state government, the Chief Minister stressed the need for sustained vigilance and indicated that detailed and continuous reviews on law and order would be carried out regularly in the coming days to ensure effective monitoring and swift administrative response across districts.
Chief Secretary M Saikumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, K Manivasan, Director General of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore, CM Secretary-IP Senthilkumar, Secretary-II G Laxmi Priya, and senior police officials participated in the meeting.