‘One Stop Centre’ for domestic violence victims shut, courtesy staff shortage

Rajesh Sharma

Advertisement

Una, June 9

The ‘One Stop Centre’ (OSC), which was opened amid much fanfare under a scheme of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to extend support to victims of domestic violence and abuse, has been lying closed for the last couple of months due to the lack of dedicated staff.

District Programme Officer, Mother and Child Health Department, Satnam Singh said Rs 16 lakh had been received for opening the centre. Land measuring two kanal at Chanderlok Colony was transferred to the department for the same. Since the construction would take long, it was temporarily opened at the first floor of the working women’s hostel of the District Welfare Department. It had two living quarters — one room, a kitchen and a toilet. However, there was no security or other support staff at the centre, which is located at a secluded place.

Satnam Singh said the centre provided integrated support to the victims for a maximum of five days. They were provided medical assistance, guidance in lodging FIRs, psychological support and counselling, legal aid, food, shelter and clothing, besides video counselling for police and court proceedings.

However, he said there was no dedicated staff for the same at the Una centre, which led to its closure.

District Child Protection Officer Sham Malhotra, also the in-charge of the centre, said he had 10 protection officials under his command, who were already engaged in providing assistance to orphan juveniles and crime victims. “There was a proposal to hire the services of four women Home Guards and a cook at the centre, but the plan did not work due to fund constraints,” he said.

Sources, however, said there had not been a single instance so far in the last two years when victims needed to be provided such facilities at the Una centre. The District Child Protection Officer said the National Career Service Centre of the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, which provided training and career guidance to people with disabilities, located on the ground floor of the working women’s hostel would soon be shifted to a new building. He said the centre would be shifted to the ground floor.