eGovWatch: Akhilesh Yadav to launch safety app for women

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Following the success of the ‘ Women Power Line 1090’ for women with “2.5 lakh complaints received and resolved and also followed up for feedback”, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is set to launch a smartphone-based application to compliment the call-based service next month.

“This application has been designed keeping in mind that women who are being harassed might land in danger while dialing the ‘1090’ helpline at that instant,” said Subhash Chandra, IG, Lucknow zone.

Officials said the application is part of the third phase of the ‘1090’ programme that deals with physical harassment. Phase one dealt with harassment over phone and phase two was concerned with harassment over social media and internet.

Kunwar Raghvendra Pratap Singh, in-charge of the women power line here said, “The application would be activated by the volume button, normally found on the side of phones; long-pressing the button for five seconds will alert either five family members of your choice, or the police, depending upon the settings you choose.”

Once the application is activated, the phone will start recording 20 second audio/video clips and send them to the police or family members. Additionally, the application would also utilise Global Positioning System (GPS) to send the person’s location to either police or family, depending upon the chosen settings. The follow-up action would then be taken up by the local police or the alerted family members. “In case the user has no internet connection, the application will record the clips and save them in the phone’s memory,” Singh said.

The application, developed by a Delhi-based private company, would be available on Google Play Store for free.

The ‘1090’ programme is one of the key schemes launched by the SP government and is being closely followed by Akhilesh, who instructed last month that the power line be set up in all districts .

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