Police stations in 8 districts to house trauma support centres for women
The approval was granted at the State Level Steering Committee meeting dated February 20, which was chaired by the additional chief secretary (home department). The government resolution issued subsequently named nine NGOs to run the centres – one NGO each for Palghar, Satara, Ahmednagar, Nandurbar, Buldhana, Nagpur and Amravati districts, and two NGOs for Wardha.
Police stations are usually the first point of contact for women and children who face abuse, and police personnel often provide informal counselling and escort survivors to shelter homes, said a senior official from the women and child development (WCD) department, which will be the controlling authority under the scheme.
'This new model will formalise the process by establishing dedicated units within police stations, allowing for decentralised, better-equipped support facilities,' the official said.
Each shelter-cum-counselling centre will be located inside a police station and be overseen by district women and child development officers and superintendents of police. They will be staffed by counsellors with master's in social work (MSW) degrees, who will help survivors file police complaints, offer trauma-informed counselling, and assist in navigating medical and legal processes. Counsellors' honorariums will be transferred by the state government directly to their bank accounts, eliminating the need for payments via NGOs.
The move follows widespread criticism of the 45 One-Stop Crisis Centres (OSCs) in the state, which are located inside hospital premises and offer support to rape and molestation victims. A 2023 review by the state commission for women revealed that most OSCs lacked trained personnel, round-the-clock services, and coordination with the police. In Mumbai, only one out of every 110 rape survivors was referred to an OSC.
'We had to start holding sensitisation sessions just to get the police to refer survivors to us,' said Swati Bandose from the Jogeshwari Trauma Centre OSC. 'Often, police don't involve us at all. Locating these services within police stations is the right step forward.'
The new centres could have significant impact in districts like Nandurbar and Gadchiroli, where women still face resistance while trying to file basic complaints, said Seema Deshpande, president of Bhartiya Stree Shakti, which runs the Nagpur OSC. 'Having trained counsellors within police stations could finally open doors that have remained shut for too long,' she said.
Sandhya Gokhale, a senior member of the Forum Against Oppression of Women (FAOW), welcomed the development, saying the new model placed support where it was needed the most.
'It's an institutional fix that could eliminate the trauma survivors face when they are forced to run between departments after experiencing violence,' said Gokhale. 'But it will only work if the state invests in proper oversight.'
HT reached out to Dr Anup Kumar Yadav, secretary, state WCD department, but he did not respond to calls and messages.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
State Govt's Adishakti Abhiyan To Honour Women Leading Change
Nagpur: To institutionalise women's empowerment at the grassroots level, Maharashtra govt has launched Adishakti Abhiyan, a comprehensive state-wide campaign aimed at addressing challenges faced by women and celebrating their leadership in local governance. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The initiative is being implemented under the guidance of women and child development (WCD) department through a meticulously structured, multi-tiered monitoring system. The campaign focuses on critical areas such as women's health, education, social security, and economic self-reliance, with special emphasis on gram panchayats that actively champion these causes. To recognise such efforts, the state has introduced Adishakti Puraskar, a three-tiered award system that will be conferred at the taluka, district, and state levels. According to a govt resolution (GR) dated July 1, evaluation of progress and performance will be based on specific indicators and milestones. The review period is set from January to February 2026, with award ceremonies expected to take place in March 2026. The GR also clarifies that for the current year, developmental works done from May 22 to December 31, 2025 will be considered, as the official launch of the campaign came mid-year. To ensure proper execution and transparency, the state has reconstituted evaluation committees at every level. At the taluka level, the panel will include group development officer, health officer (preferably female), senior anganwadi supervisors, representatives from NGOs working in the women's sector, and child development project officers. Similarly, district-level committees will be headed by collector and include senior officials from health, education, rural development, and WCD departments. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now These committees will be responsible for assessing the activities and impact of participating gram panchayats and recommending eligible entries for awards. With Adishakti, the state aims to fuel a silent revolution — one that empowers women not just as beneficiaries, but as leaders shaping the future of rural Maharashtra.
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- The Hindu
Child labour: survey finds 140 hotspots
A survey conducted by the Women and Child Development (WCD) department this year in all districts to detect child labour and child beggary detected 140 hotspots, Minister for Women and Child Development Veena George has said. The maximum number of hotspots were found in Ernakulam district – 30. Thiruvananthapuram had 12 hotspots, Kollam 11, Pathanamthitta six, Alappuzha 10, Kottayam seven, Idukki 13, Thrissur nine, Palakkad four, Malappuram nine, Kozhikode four, Wayanad eight, Kannur 19, and Kasaragod seven, a statement quoting the Minister said. These hotspots covered festival zones, companies, and plantations. Efforts to check child labour and beggary centred on these locations would be strengthened by the WCD in association with the Labour department and the police to completely eliminate child labour by next year, the Minister said. Last financial year, 704 rescue drives were held as part of the Sarana Balyam project implemented by the WCD to identify children engaged in child labour and rehabilitate them. Fifty-six children found likely to engage in child labour were rehabilitated. The Minister said Sarana Balyam had been linked to Kaval Plus to provide long-term services and rehabilitate children. Those rescued were presented in front of child welfare committees (CWCs). If they belonged to other States, they were sent to the CWCs of their respective States. If that was not possible, their care and protection and rehabilitation was taken up by the WCD. In case of child labour incidents, call 1098 or message 8281899479 on WhatsApp.
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt tells district officers to file report on One Stop Centres
The Delhi government's women and child development (WCD) department has directed district officers to visit all one-stop centres (OSCs) across the city and file detailed reports on their current condition, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday. Delhi govt tells district officers to file report on One Stop Centres The order for the visit was issued on Wednesday – a day after HT reported on the poor state of most OSCs, which were found lacking in basic infrastructure and essential services. An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that special director (WCD) Navlendra Kumar Singh issued the directive to all district officers, asking them to assess the availability and functionality of appliances like coolers and fans, and to document broader procedural issues at the centres. 'A district officer visited the OSC on Wednesday and asked us how many coolers, fans and other appliances are working here. And what other problems we are facing,' the official said. Another official said that they have also been informed that the district officer will visit their OSC for a report. A third official confirmed that district visits were underway and added that instructions had been given to submit a proper, comprehensive report, unlike the 'mechanical' surveys usually conducted. 'This time, the reports have to reflect ground reality,' the official said. Singh could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts. OSCs were launched in 2019 to serve as single-window assistance centres for women facing domestic, sexual, or psychological abuse. However, as HT revealed on Tuesday, many centres are falling apart—plagued by budgetary neglect and official indifference. During visits to five OSCs, HT found women stuck in suffocating rooms with no water, no working fans or coolers, and no trained counsellors. Across multiple OSCs, core services such as police assistance and legal aid are inconsistently available, directly violating guidelines set by the ministry of women and child development. The ministry's guidelines mandate round-the-clock infrastructure, full-time legal and psychological support, and access to shelter and police help.
