Representative image. Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
हिन्दी में सारांश Summary in Hindi
- धिसूचना जारी हुई।
- कूचबिहार, मुर्शिदाबाद और पूर्व बर्धमान में तीन-तीन थाने बनेंगे, छह ज़िलों में दो-दो और आठ में एक-एक।
- हर नए थाने में 1 इंस्पेक्टर, 6 से 7 सब-इंस्पेक्टर, 8 एएसआई और 20 महिला कांस्टेबल का प्रस्ताव है।
বাংলায় সারাংশ Summary in Bangla
- ক্টোবর ২০২৬ বিজ্ঞপ্তি জারি হয়েছে।
- কোচবিহার, মুর্শিদাবাদ ও পূর্ব বর্ধমানে তিনটি করে থানা হবে, ছয় জেলায় দুটি করে, আট জেলায় একটি করে।
- প্রতিটি নতুন থানায় ১ জন ইন্সপেক্টর, ৬ থেকে ৭ জন সাব ইন্সপেক্টর, ৮ জন এএসআই ও ২০ জন মহিলা কনস্টেবলের প্রস্তাব রয়েছে।
Why it matters
For women outside the big cities, the nearest women police station can be in another town. Placing one in each of 29 subdivisions brings a station staffed mainly by women closer to where they live, and the proposed staff per station is about double what existing ones usually have.
Bengal women police stations are set to grow from 40 to 69. The West Bengal government has approved 29 new women police stations, one for each of 29 subdivisions across 17 districts, through a notification issued on 30 October 2026, an official told PTI (Press Trust of India, the news agency) on 2 November. The proposal had been waiting for more than three years.
Cooch Behar, Murshidabad and Purba Bardhaman get three stations each. Six districts get two, and eight get one. Kolkata does not appear on the list; the new stations go to subdivision towns, from Mirik in the hills to Kakdwip near the Sundarbans.
Where the 29 new Bengal women police stations will be
The district counts below come from the official quoted by PTI. The town names come from the Bangla daily Sangbad Pratidin, which cited state police sources for the subdivision-wise list. The two accounts agree on every district total.
| District | New stations | Subdivisions named |
|---|---|---|
| Cooch Behar | 3 | Mekhliganj, Tufanganj, Mathabhanga |
| Murshidabad | 3 | Domkal, Kandi, Lalbag |
| Purba Bardhaman | 3 | Bardhaman Sadar South, Kalna, Katwa |
| Darjeeling | 2 | Kurseong, Mirik |
| Hooghly | 2 | Chinsurah, Chandannagar |
| Jalpaiguri | 2 | Malbazar, Dhupguri |
| Nadia | 2 | Kalyani, Tehatta |
| Purba Medinipur | 2 | Egra, Tamluk |
| Purulia | 2 | Jhalda, Manbazar |
| Bankura, Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda | 1 each | Bishnupur, Rampurhat, Gangarampur, Chanchal |
| North 24 Parganas, Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Uttar Dinajpur | 1 each | Basirhat, Ghatal, Kakdwip, Islampur |
Adding the rows is a quick check that the list is complete: three districts with three stations make 9, six with two make 12, and eight with one make 8. That is 29.
Some of these places are far from any district headquarters. A woman in Mirik or Tehatta who wants to file a complaint at a women police station today may have to travel to another town. Once the new stations open, the nearest women police station should be within her own subdivision, which is the point of a subdivision-wise plan.
Taken together, the 29 new stations would raise the state’s network from 40 to 69, an increase of 72.5% by NewsPlainly’s calculation.
How many West Bengal Police officers each new station gets
The staffing proposal is larger than what the state’s existing women police stations usually have. According to PTI, each new station is planned with one inspector, six to seven sub-inspectors, eight assistant sub-inspectors and 20 women constables. An existing women police station generally has three sub-inspectors, five assistant sub-inspectors and 10 women constables.
| Rank | Existing station (usual) | New station (proposed) |
|---|---|---|
| Inspector | Not stated | 1 |
| Sub-inspectors | 3 | 6 to 7 |
| Assistant sub-inspectors | 5 | 8 |
| Women constables | 10 | 20 |
NewsPlainly’s calculation from those figures: one new station would have 35 or 36 posts (1 + 6 or 7 + 8 + 20). Across 29 stations, that is 1,015 to 1,044 posts. Below the inspector rank, a new women police station would have 34 or 35 people, roughly double the 18 at a typical existing one.
These are proposed numbers. The reports did not say how the posts will be filled, whether by new recruitment or by moving officers already in service, and they gave no cost. PTI’s report said the expansion is expected to add jobs in the state police, without a figure.
Why the West Bengal plan took three years
The Bengal women police network is young. The state’s first women police station opened in Asansol in 2012, under the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate. Sangbad Pratidin reported that it was set up near Gandhi More in the city. The network has since grown step by step to 40 stations.
In November 2023, the state police sent a fresh proposal for 20 more women police stations across 16 subdivisions. Both PTI and Sangbad Pratidin reported that it was never carried out. This year’s state budget then promised a women police station in every subdivision within the current financial year, which ends on 31 March 2027. The 30 October notification follows that promise, with 29 stations rather than the 20 sought in 2023.
For Bengal women police, the next step is on the ground: Sangbad Pratidin reported that the home department has started work on setting up the stations after the notification. Neither report gave a date by which any of them will open.
What a women police station does
A women police station is a regular police station staffed mainly by women officers. It registers and investigates complaints, usually about crimes against women such as domestic violence, dowry harassment and sexual offences. The idea is that women may find it easier to report a crime to women officers.
The model is not new in India. Sangbad Pratidin noted that the country’s first women police station opened in Kozhikode, Kerala, in 1973. Any police station in India must register a complaint about a cognisable offence, so women in subdivisions without a women police station can still go to their local station.
What is still not known
The notification itself was not available to NewsPlainly when this article was written, so the details here rest on the two reports. Three things remain open:
- Opening dates for the 29 stations. Neither report gave one.
- Buildings. The reports did not say whether the stations will use new buildings or space in existing police stations.
- Recruitment. The reports did not say whether new women constables and officers will be hired for the roughly 1,000 proposed posts.
For more news from the state, see NewsPlainly’s West Bengal page. The PTI report is available on ThePrint.
Frequently asked questions
How many women police stations does West Bengal have?
40 now, with the first opened in Asansol in 2012. If all 29 approved stations are set up, the total will be 69.
Which districts get new women police stations?
Cooch Behar, Murshidabad and Purba Bardhaman get three each; Darjeeling, Hooghly, Jalpaiguri, Nadia, Purba Medinipur and Purulia two each; Bankura, Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, North 24 Parganas, Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas and Uttar Dinajpur one each.
When will the new women police stations open?
The reports did not give a date. The state budget promised a station in every subdivision within the current financial year, which ends on 31 March 2027.
Can a woman file a complaint at an ordinary police station?
Yes. Any police station must register a complaint about a cognisable offence, whether or not a women police station exists nearby.