Agartala, March 2 (IANS): The Tripura government will increase the number of women police personnel to one-third of the total strength, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said on Monday.

"Currently, 13 percent of the total police constables and ten percent of the total police force are women. Our government's target is to raise the percentage to 30," Sarkar said at the passing out parade of 300 newly recruit women constables.

He said: "Fifteen years ago, there was only two percent women in the police force. The number of women police personnel and officers is being increased to deal with the rising crime against women."

The Tripura government has already set-up four all women police stations and five more all women police stations would be set-up soon.

"Beside recruiting additional number of women police personnel and setting up of all women police stations, the state government has taken a series of steps to check crime against women," said Sarkar, who also holds the home portfolio.

The 300 women police constables were given 39-week-training at the KTD Singh Police Training Academy in Narsingarh, 15 km from Agartala.

KTD Singh Police Training Academy Principal Krishnendu Chakraborty said that women constables were given training in 18 courses (outdoor and indoor) during a nine-month training period.

The training topics include anti-insurgency, disaster management, and human rights.

"We will start training of DSP (deputy superintendent of police) level officers soon in the academy. The BPR&D (bureau of police research and development) has also chosen the academy for its Bharat Darshan programme," Chakraborty said.

Of the 300 women constables, mostly aged between 18 and 27 years, 86 are tribals and 33 are graduates and post-graduates against the required qualification of class eight to 'madhyamik' (class ten) pass, he said.