The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved setting up of 29 Investigative Units for Crime against Women (IUCAWs) in Odisha to strengthen the investigative apparatus, especially for the heinous crimes against women.

MHA Joint Secretary Kumar Alok has informed the State Government that for each IUCAW expenses would be `28 lakh per annum, which would be borne by both the State and the Centre on 50:50 basis.

Kumar has informed that looking at the rise of heinous crimes against women, the Union Government has decided to set up 564 IUCAWs in 29 States and seven Union Territories.

The programme would be undertaken in 2016-17 and 2017-18, for which two years’ funding has been worked out with an approval of `326 crore.

While Odisha would have 29 IUCAWs for 36 police districts, West Bengal would have 18, Jharkhand 21, Chhattisgarh 22 and Andhra Pradesh 18.

Earlier, the Odisha Government had been sanctioned seven IUCAWs, for which 150 posts were sanctioned, and now more police personnel posts would be sanctioned for the more number of IUCAWs, said sources in the State Home Department.

Each IUCAW would be headed by an Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) with 14 other police personnel.

The IUCAWs would investigate the cases of rape, kidnapping, abduction, dowry deaths and acid attacks involving brutalisation of women. This move would instil confidence and encourage women to come forward to lodge their complaints with the police, said an official.

It is imperative to form a resources pool of Public Prosecutors, who are needed to have specialisation in legislations relating to crimes against women and human trafficking, and this would go a long way to ensure higher conviction rate with effective prosecution, he said.