Centre has asked the Punjab Government to come up with a comprehensive proposal to set up one-stop crisis centres in all districts of the State. The Centres, to be set up by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, would ensure prompt assistance to the women or girl aggrieved with gender crime.
“We will be setting up Rape Crisis Centres in Punjab also, as in other States. We have asked the State Government to submit a comprehensive proposal to the Ministry for sanctioning the scheme of setting up one stop crisis centres in each district across the State,” said Union Minister in-charge Maneka Gandhi during her meeting with the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. “As far as the kids who are in children’s home, we will be starting foster care scheme. Under this scheme, kids will be sent to people’s homes instead of children’s home,” she added.
She apprised the Chief Minister that under the scheme, the State Government was required to hand over 250-300 square yards of land to establish these centres by erecting pre-fabricated structures, the entire cost of which would be borne by the Union Government.
Acceding to Badal’s proposal, the Centre also approved setting up of ITIs exclusively for the women to ensure their empowerment by imparting technical education to them.
The Minister assured Badal that the Centre was ready to fund any scheme or program aimed at the overall development and welfare of the women and child in the State. Maneka Gandhi urged the Chief Minister to send a detailed proposal to her Ministry for the establishment of a network of ITIs across the state for imparting technical and vocational training to women for enabling them to be gainfully employed.
Gandhi hoped that this unique initiative would go a long way in instilling a sense of confidence amongst the women to live a life with self-respect and dignity besides enormously contributing in the national growth. During the deliberations, Badal raised several demands seeking upward revision in honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers under ICDS scheme from Rs5,000 and Rs2,500 per month, which was highly unrealistic and unreasonable, to Rs8,000 and Rs4,000 monthly respectively.
Badal also pleaded for introduction of contributory pension scheme with a minimum monthly contribution of 10 per cent honorarium to facilitate retirement of workers and helpers at the age of 60 years, as demanded by Anganwadi unions.
Stating that more than 25,000 Anganwadi centres were running in rented, community, or panchayat buildings across the state, Badal sought liberal financial grant from the Centre for construction of anganwadi centres in phased manner and asked for such grant at the rate of Rs4.50 lakh per building for construction of 2,000 centres during 2014-15.
Responding to the demands, the Minister assured Badal that she would get all these demands thoroughly examined at her Ministry’s level to ensure their early resolution. She promised that paucity of funds would not be allowed to hamper implementation of schemes and the Ministry was ready to include pro-women and child development schemes of the state in its charter of such Centrally-sponsored schemes.