Delhi govt to launch helpline for women on Monday

Delhi government will launch a round-the-clock helpline '181' on Monday for offering help to women in distress that will operate from the Chief Minister's office .

Amid nationwide uproar over brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit last week had announced setting up of the helpline.

"We will launch the helpline on Monday," Dikshit said today.

The helpline will operate from the Chief Minister's office in Delhi Secretariat and it will be connected with all the 185 police stations across the city.

Telecom Ministry on Monday had released the three-digit number following a request by Dikshit.

This is the first three-digit number to have been allotted by the Ministry in two years.

As part of efforts to ensure better security for women in the city, Delhi government yesterday began deploying home guards in 89 Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) night service buses.