The decision to assign an NGO to run a women facilitation and help centre, ‘Sakhi,’ has courted a controversy here.
The Central Government funded project under the Ministry of Women and Child Development is intended to provide all kinds of help which include police protection, shelter, medical and legal assistance, besides counselling to women victims who are subjected to rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence, witch-hunting and acid attack etc.
And the facilitation centre, as per the Central guidelines, should be established in the District Headquarters Hospital. If such facility is not available in the DHH, it should at best be set up within 2 km radius of the DHH.
The centre should operate preferably from a women centric institution like a Swadhar Gruha or women destitute centre etc. It has, however, come to light that a Soro-based NGO has managed to obtain permission to operate the centre and the NGO moots an idea to operate it from a primary school campus ( which is closed owing to not having adequate student strength) at Church lane in the town under Baleswar Municipality.
An NGO activist and president of district Nari Sangha, Gopamudra Mohapatra alleged gross irregularities in allotting the centre to the NGO, violating the guidelines.
“First of all, it is not published in media. As per guidelines, an advertisement should be made in the well circulated newspapers. It should be preferably given to a women based organisation and should preferably operate from a secure place. A district level committee headed by the Collector being chairman and other members, including DSW, CWC, SP, CDMO and legal experts, should recommend the name of the institution to run the centre. In this case, the guidelines were flouted,” said Mohapatra.
The District Nari Sangha was earlier contacted by the District Social Welfare Department (DSW) and asked to prepare at least five- room working women hostel to accommodate the centre. But subsequently no contact was made and the centre was given to the NGO whose credibility is under cloud.
“We have drawn the attention of the district administration raising objection on these grounds,” Mohapatra added.
It may be noted the NGO’s name was recommended for the operation of the centre during the tenure of the previous Collector.