Andhra Pradesh is coming up with novel ‘in-time help’ to women in distress, especially during incidents of rape, domestic violence and molestation. State is integrating all helplines to press rescue mechanism into service without any delay.

Under the new mechanism, services such as 181 service (a service which comes to the rescue of women in need), 100 (police) and 108 (ambulance) will be integrated.

According Poonam Malakondaiah, principal secretary (health & family welfare), all the concerned agencies  normally involved in meeting emergencies such as police, health & family welfare, legal department will be brought under a single roof so that the victim do not have to run from one department to other.

“Once a call is made to181, 100 or 108 services, entire machinery will swing into action. Rescue personnel will reach to the place of the incident and get in touch with the victim. They will even send a copy of the complaint to the police station under whose jurisdiction the incident has occurred,” she said in a brief interaction with scribes here on Wednesday.

Besides this, the victims would be provided counselling and other assistance. A round-the-clock helpline service will be set up in every district of the State with Vijayawada as its coordinating centre.

“Every centre will have five counsellors for various areas such as legal, health, social, police personnel and an NGO worker, she added.

According the principal secretary, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has come forward to provide trained counsellors for the centres.

“I am sure, this effort will go a long in instilling confidence among the womenfolk that they are safe,” she said