2 days Ago
Union minister for women and child development Annapurna Devi on Wednesday said that at least five more one-stop centres (OSCs) will be set up in Delhi and the duration for temporary shelter has been extended from five to 10 days, with a provision for up to 25 days in certain cases. She told HT that key changes were made to the provisions of OSCs to help more women in distress avail of assistance. “Work has already started with Delhi CM Rekha Gupta approaching with proposals for more OSCs in Delhi,” she said, adding that more centres will be approved within a day or two.
OSCs are part of the Nirbhaya Fund initiative, to provide support to women experiencing violence in both public and private spaces, including domestic violence. Each centre is equipped with an administrator, case workers, medical staff, a police facilitation officer, psychosocial counsellors, legal advisors, security personnel, IT staff, and multi-purpose workers. Currently, there are 11 OSCs in Delhi, which were a point of contention during the previous regime.
The Aam Aadmi Party government faced criticism for failing to pay OSC staff, which led to a legal battle last November and the Delhi high court, on November 19, 2024, directed the government to make the necessary payments. Minister Devi confirmed that the payments were cleared. The official document seen by HT outlining the new provisions details several changes, with the first being extension of temporary shelter.
In cases where relocation to a Shakti Sadan is not feasible, the centre administrators will have the discretion to approve the extended stay. If further time is needed, district nodal officers (DNOs) or district program officers (DPOs) can authorise an additional stay of up to ten days. Shakti Sadans are permanent shelters that provide shelter, food, and rehabilitation for women in distress, including victims of trafficking.
It is a component of the Mission Shakti programme. The sadan acts as a more permanent shelter in contrast to the OSCs, which are temporary shelters until the victim is rehabilitated A second change involves the inclusion of wheelchairs and stretchers as standard services at OSCs to assist women, particularly those with disabilities, affected by violence. These items can be procured every three years, with costs covered under the administrative budget of the OSCs.
The third provision concerns the expansion of capacity at OSCs. If there is a higher demand for services and more space is required, additional beds can be provided using existing administrative funds, contingent on available space..
