Virbhadra opens centre for victimised women at Solan

Tribune News Service

Solan, September 26

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today inaugurated One Stop Centre in Solan through video-conferencing from Shimla to facilitate women victims of various social atrocities.

The centre will be run from an old building of the Red Cross which is a stop-gap arrangement while its permanent building is constructed. The project was conceptualised last year, but the land where the centre was supposed to come up has been acquired for four-laning the highway.

The centre will provide assistance to women, irrespective of the age group, those who are mentally and physically tortured either or victims of atrocities of domestic violence, trafficking, sexual harassment, depression or are forcefully subjected to black magic etc. Even if any NGO, approaches the centre, all possible assistance will be provided to it to redress the grievances.

The Chief Minister while appreciating such efforts said the women were the pillars of society and it was their moral duty to respect and honour them. He said more such centres were required to be opened in other districts. In the first phase, three such centres were proposed to be set up at Solan, Kangra and Mandi districts. The left out centres will be opened soon in Kangra and Mandi .

He said the expenses to run the centres in a befitting manner would be borne by the state government.

The women can also stay at such centres for a week and if they think they are not safe at home, the victimised will be sent to Nari Seva Sadan, Mashobra, stated Mansi Sahai Thakur, Director, Social Welfare, Justice, and Empowerment Department. The inmates of One-Stop Centre will also be provided legal aid, counseling etc.

She said that there was also a provision of security guards at the centre. Apart from this, the services of para-medical staff, police facilitating officers, counsellors, advocates will also be taken from time to time.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Col Dhani Ram Shandil, thanked the Chief Minister for dedicating the ambitious project for women in Solan.

The CM also laid the online foundation stones of the Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS), Badgala, which would cost Rs. 1.08 crore, LIS, Bhalag Bharn, to be completed with an outlay of Rs. 76.58 lakh, LIS, Dhanaach-Chukhriya to be constructed at a cost of Rs.1.25 crore, LIS, Redi Gusaan, on which Rs.1.23 crore will be spent, LIS, Koti-Badhog to be completed at a cost of Rs one crore and LIS, Dharoti, to cost Rs 54 lakh in the Rajgarh area of Sirmaur district.

He also dedicated Lift Drinking Water Supply (LDWS) Kimbawala-Bagguwala completed with an outlay of Rs. 41.34 lakh besides inaugurating LDWS, Goyala Panar. He also dedicated LDWS, Chanalmajra, LDWS, Malkumajra , inaugurated Primary Health Centre, Kuthar, dedicated police residential colony, Kuthar and laid the foundation stone of a building of the Industrial Training Institute for Women, Nalagarh.