The Bengal government on Saturday announced a flagship programme called Rattirer Shaathi (Helpers of the Night) for safety for women who work on the night shift.

It came against the backdrop of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hopsital last week.

The aim of the programme, the government said, is to provide safe working conditions for women on the night shift in government hospitals and medical colleges, hostels and other places engaging women during the night.

It laid down a protocol, which was announced by Alapan Bandopadhyay, chief adviser to chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

The programme listed these guidelines:

1. There should be separate designated rest rooms with toilets for women.

2. Rattirer Shaathi or woman volunteers shall be on duty at night.

3. Safe Zones will be identified and created for women with full coverage by CCTV and its monitoring.

4. A special mobile phone app with alarm devices will be developed which shall be compulsorily downloaded by all working women and which will be connected to the local police stations/police control room.

5. Helpline No.100/112 should be extensively utilised during any panic/emergency situation.

6. Security check and breathalyzer test will be carried at medical colleges and hospitals, superspeciality hospitals, district hospitals.

7. All organisations are requested to set up Visakha Committee on sexual harassment on women in workplaces, if not done.

8. A programme of sensitisation of all government establishments on issues relating to women's safety and urge private organisations to do the same. The programme will be undertaken across districts.

9. Working in pairs. Organisations will be encouraged to devise schedules so that women work in pairs or teams and know each other's movements during night hours.

10. Private Institutions shall also be encouraged to set , rati'irer shaathi protocol.

In addition, the following steps may also be taken up:

(i) Night police patrolling will be carried out in all medical colleges and hospitals, women hostels and such other places.

(ii) Adequate drinking water facility will be on all floors of the hospitals etc.

(iii) Identity cards should be displayed by all the faculty, staff, security guard etc at the medical colleges and hospitals.

(iv) Security officer will be posted by police in all medical colleges & hospitals and district hospitals for overall security supervision.

(v) Working hours of women including women doctors should not exceed 12 hours at a time.

(vi) Wherever possible, night duty may be avoided for women to the extent possible.

(vii) Security guards in the government medical colleges and hospitals, district medical colleges and hospitals and hospitals should be a mix of male and female security guards.