India News | Female Police Constable Trainees Protest Against Poor Amenities at Training Centre in UP

Gorakhpur (UP), Jul 23 (PTI) A large number of women police constable recruits on Wednesday staged a protest at the 26th Battalion Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) campus here, alleging poor living conditions and mismanagement at their training centre.

The demonstration highlighted a range of grievances, including inadequate basic amenities and concerns over privacy.

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According to police sources, the female recruits are blocking the roads to draw attention to their plight. Their primary complaints revolved around the unavailability of clean water, consistent electricity and functional toilets.

A video circulating on social media purportedly shows trainee constables saying they were forced to bathe in the open due to the lack of proper facilities.

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While officials managed to disperse the road blockade and direct the trainees back inside the campus, the women continued their protest by regrouping outside the administrative building, vowing not to move until their grievances were addressed.

The 26th Battalion PAC campus, which serves as a police training school, has inducted 598 women constable recruits from various districts of Uttar Pradesh as part of the 2023 batch, officials said.

The trainees have collectively asserted that the existing infrastructure is insufficient to accommodate such a large number. Additionally, some recruits also raised allegations regarding the presence of CCTV cameras in bathroom corridors, which they deemed a breach of privacy.

Responding to the escalating situation, PAC Commandant Anand Kumar assured the recruits that their issues would be resolved promptly. He said, "Several infrastructure upgrades including additional toilets are already under construction."

Kumar said that the initial disruption in electricity supply was due to technical reasons, which subsequently affected the water supply, but affirmed that "the concerned issues have been promptly resolved."

Inspector General PAC Central Zone Preetinder Singh, in a video post on the official X account, addressed specific allegations. He denied the claim of cameras in bathrooms, saying that the investigation found it to be "completely baseless and without factual evidence."

Singh also confirmed that a physical training instructor who allegedly used inappropriate language with the female constables has been suspended.

The department is committed to providing high-quality training, appropriate facilities, and a safe environment for them, he added.

He also warned that strict action will be taken against "those who spread rumours or violate discipline, including identifying and acting against those spreading misinformation on social media."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)