Sakhi Centre to be operational soon

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 24

To provide legal assistance; police and medical help; counselling; temporary support services to women affected by violence and crime, a one-stop centre — Sakhi Centre — has been set up in the city.

Although the construction of the building for the centre was completed in September last year and was inaugurated by local Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the centre is yet to be made functional.

These kind of centres have been set up across several cities of the country as part of an initiative of the Union Government under the ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ to protect the dignity and ensuring the safety of women.

The district administration had planned to make the centre functional last year itself, but the Assembly elections were announced and its officials got busy with the arrangements for the same. The procedure for recruiting the staff for the centre was put on hold.

The bidding for the tender had expected to be floated in the first week of January but due to the imposition of the code of conduct, the process was put on hold.

After the results of the elections, the administration is likely to float tenders for the recruitment of the staff through outsourcing.

ADC Shena Aggarwal has confirmed that the tender would be floated after the announcement of the Assembly poll results. Thereafter, the work will be outsourced to a company. It will hire the staff for the centre.

For Sakhi Centre a legal case worker, counselor, police assistance guide, legal assistant, information technology expert and guide besides a guard will be recruited.

As per information, earlier the district administration had set a budget of Rs 78,000 per month for paying salaries of the staff. On giving the second thought, the budget has apparently been increased to hire the staff without any problem.

At the centre, women who are victims of crime or any kind of violent activity will get medical aid, counseling and free stay for a week.

The women will also be counseled and motivated to raise their voice against the crime and violence. The centre will also provide a facility of recording their statement through video-conferencing to them.