Since inception, OSCs have handled 4K cases
Q. Beyond OSCs, what schemes or upcoming initiatives are planned for the welfare and protection of women and children, especially in rural areas of the state?
A: Apart from One Stop Centres (OSCs), the state govt is actively implementing several schemes aimed at the welfare and protection of women and children, with a strong focus on rural areas. These include the Women Helpline (181), Nari Adalat, Sakhi Niwas, Shakti Sadan, and anti-human trafficking initiatives that offer security and support.
Additionally, there are welfare and empowerment schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Savitribai Phule Kishori Samriddhi Yojana, Kanyadan Yojana, Swadhar Greh (SAG), Widow Remarriage Scheme, Sakhi Niwas, and the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign.
These programmes collectively aim to enhance legal, social, medical, and economic support systems for women and girls, especially in underserved and rural regions.
Q: Can you share how many cases have been handled by OSCs in the state since its inception, and what types of support are most commonly provided?
A: Since their inception, the One Stop Centres across the state have handled approximately 4,000 cases. These centres have emerged as a crucial support system for women facing violence, abuse, or distress. The most common services provided at OSCs include police assistance, medical facilities, psycho-social counselling, legal aid, and temporary shelter.
Women survivors are offered shelter for up to 10 days along with their daughters (of any age) or sons (up to 12 years).
In cases where extended shelter is required, the women are transferred to Shakti Sadan for continued accommodation and care. The multi-sectoral support at OSCs is aimed at helping women recover, seek justice, and regain control over their lives.
Q: What are the major operational challenges faced in running One Stop Centres across the state, particularly in terms of infrastructure and resources?
A: One of the major operational challenges in running OSCs is ensuring effective coordination with other critical departments such as the police, health services, and legal authorities.
Additionally, there are logistical hurdles, especially when cybercrime-related cases from multiple districts are routed to a single OSC, leading to resource overload. Infrastructure gaps in rural areas and the lack of comprehensive service coverage also pose challenges.
These issues impact the delivery of timely and integrated support to survivors and often hinder smooth case handling and resolution.
Q: Many centres are functioning with just three-four staff members against the mandated 12. What is the current status of staffing, and what steps are being taken to fill these vacancies?
A: As per govt guidelines, the recruitment of OSC staff is to be carried out through outsourcing agencies.
Currently, the hiring process is in progress. In the interim, the department has issued clear instructions to all district social welfare officers (DSWOs) to ensure the continuity of OSC services by making alternative arrangements to fill staffing gaps. These temporary measures are being actively implemented to maintain operational efficiency until full staffing as per norms is achieved across centres.
Q: Despite their importance, there seems to be low awareness about OSCs even among police personnel. What initiatives are being taken to address this gap?
A: To bridge the awareness gap regarding OSCs, particularly among police personnel and other stakeholders, the Jharkhand Women Development Society (JWDS) has initiated multiple programmes.
These include regular training sessions, seminars, and awareness drives designed to sensitize law enforcement and community members about the functions and services of OSCs. In addition, Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials and campaigns are being rolled out strategically to reach even the most remote parts of the state.
These initiatives aim to ensure that frontline workers, service providers, and the general public are well-informed about the availability and importance of OSCs.
Q: Coordination between departments like police, health, and legal services is often cited as a hurdle. How is the department working to improve inter-agency coordination?
A: The department, through the Jharkhand Women Development Society, is making sustained efforts to strengthen inter-agency coordination. Regular convergence meetings are being held with representatives from key departments such as police, health, legal aid services, and child welfare authorities.
Official communications, instructions, and requests are shared routinely in alignment with govt protocols to streamline roles and responsibilities.
This collaborative approach is helping to reduce bureaucratic delays and foster a more responsive, integrated support system for women in distress.
Q: Currently, most OSCs are located in urban areas. With seven new centres coming up, are there specific plans to expand access to rural and remote regions?
A: Yes, while currently 24 OSCs are functional across all districts, seven more OSCs have been approved, particularly targeting highly populated areas. To ensure outreach in rural and remote locations, the centres are actively linked with Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and local grassroots agencies. Moreover, every OSC is equipped with a dedicated vehicle available 24x7, which enables the centres to promptly reach out to victims even in geographically isolated areas.
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In a conversation with Kritika Tiwari of TOI, director of social welfare, Kiran Pasi highlighted detailed insights into the state's ongoing efforts, schemes, challenges, and strategies for strengthening the welfare and protection of women and children, particularly through the functioning of One Stop Centres (OSCs). Q. Beyond OSCs, what schemes or upcoming initiatives are planned for the welfare and protection of women and children, especially in rural areas of the state? A: Apart from One Stop Centres (OSCs), the state govt is actively implementing several schemes aimed at the welfare and protection of women and children, with a strong focus on rural areas. These include the Women Helpline (181), Nari Adalat, Sakhi Niwas, Shakti Sadan, and anti-human trafficking initiatives that offer security and support. 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Women survivors are offered shelter for up to 10 days along with their daughters (of any age) or sons (up to 12 years). In cases where extended shelter is required, the women are transferred to Shakti Sadan for continued accommodation and care. The multi-sectoral support at OSCs is aimed at helping women recover, seek justice, and regain control over their lives. Q: What are the major operational challenges faced in running One Stop Centres across the state, particularly in terms of infrastructure and resources? A: One of the major operational challenges in running OSCs is ensuring effective coordination with other critical departments such as the police, health services, and legal authorities. Additionally, there are logistical hurdles, especially when cybercrime-related cases from multiple districts are routed to a single OSC, leading to resource overload. Infrastructure gaps in rural areas and the lack of comprehensive service coverage also pose challenges. These issues impact the delivery of timely and integrated support to survivors and often hinder smooth case handling and resolution. Q: Many centres are functioning with just three-four staff members against the mandated 12. What is the current status of staffing, and what steps are being taken to fill these vacancies? A: As per govt guidelines, the recruitment of OSC staff is to be carried out through outsourcing agencies. Currently, the hiring process is in progress. In the interim, the department has issued clear instructions to all district social welfare officers (DSWOs) to ensure the continuity of OSC services by making alternative arrangements to fill staffing gaps. These temporary measures are being actively implemented to maintain operational efficiency until full staffing as per norms is achieved across centres. Q: Despite their importance, there seems to be low awareness about OSCs even among police personnel. What initiatives are being taken to address this gap? A: To bridge the awareness gap regarding OSCs, particularly among police personnel and other stakeholders, the Jharkhand Women Development Society (JWDS) has initiated multiple programmes. These include regular training sessions, seminars, and awareness drives designed to sensitize law enforcement and community members about the functions and services of OSCs. In addition, Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials and campaigns are being rolled out strategically to reach even the most remote parts of the state. These initiatives aim to ensure that frontline workers, service providers, and the general public are well-informed about the availability and importance of OSCs. Q: Coordination between departments like police, health, and legal services is often cited as a hurdle. How is the department working to improve inter-agency coordination? A: The department, through the Jharkhand Women Development Society, is making sustained efforts to strengthen inter-agency coordination. Regular convergence meetings are being held with representatives from key departments such as police, health, legal aid services, and child welfare authorities. Official communications, instructions, and requests are shared routinely in alignment with govt protocols to streamline roles and responsibilities. This collaborative approach is helping to reduce bureaucratic delays and foster a more responsive, integrated support system for women in distress. Q: Currently, most OSCs are located in urban areas. With seven new centres coming up, are there specific plans to expand access to rural and remote regions? A: Yes, while currently 24 OSCs are functional across all districts, seven more OSCs have been approved, particularly targeting highly populated areas. To ensure outreach in rural and remote locations, the centres are actively linked with Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and local grassroots agencies. Moreover, every OSC is equipped with a dedicated vehicle available 24x7, which enables the centres to promptly reach out to victims even in geographically isolated areas.
