The Times of India 18.08.2009
New counselling centre to solve family disputes
CHENNAI: In order to minimise the interference of police in family disputes and to settle them amicably, the city police on Monday opened a family counselling centre at the city police commissioner's office with the co-operation of the social welfare board. The centre, which will work on all days from 10 am to 5 pm, will provide counselling to parties who approach the police with family disputes. It will have three women counsellors from the social welfare department.
Talking to the media after inaugurating the centre today, police commissioner T Rajendran said that a majority of the 60-odd complainants he met on a daily basis were involved in family disputes. "We consider such disputes as a social issue. Most of these issues could be amicably settled without the interference of the police through counselling," CoP said. The police would only interfere when the complainants remain adamant even after the counselling.
Social welfare board chairperson Rokkiah Salma said the interference of the police in minor family disputes was against societal norms. "Most of such issues can be solved through counselling. We have 66 such counselling centres across the state and now we have opened one inside the city commissioner's office," Salma said.
She said the counselling centre was not just for women. Men facing family problems could also approach the centre.