The Hindu 25.02.2016
Government may double DCW budget
181 helpline plan to be expanded, integrated with mahila panchayat, mobile helpline programmes
The mobile van for women in distress was flagged off by former CM Sheila Dikshit in 2013.— File Photo
he Delhi government is likely to double the budget
allocation for the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW). Sources said the
government is expected to allocate around Rs.15 crore to strengthen the
DCW.
Last year’s budget allocation for the DCW was
Rs.7 crore. In its maiden budget, the Aam Aadmi Party-led government had
increased allocation for the Commission to Rs.7 crore from Rs.3.75
crore. The decision to increase the budget comes in the wake of
expanding the women’s helpline plan and integrating it with mahila
panchayat and mobile helpline programmes.
At present,
there are 30 mahila panchayats functioning in Delhi. This number is
being increased to 70 to ensure there is a mahila panchayat in each
constituency. The DCW has invited non-government organisations to
collaborate with them to form 40 new mahila panchayats.
Moreover,
the 181 helpline will be linked to the DCW mobile helpline programme.
At present, there are just five vans under the programme and their
number is now being increased to two vans in each police district.
The
Delhi government had last month handed over the 181 helpline to the
DCW. Inaugurated with much fanfare by the then Chief Minister Sheila
Dikshit soon after December 16, 2012, gang-rape, the helpline will
undergo major changes.
“Till now, the 181 helpline
worked merely as referral helpline. It did not have a grassroots
presence and the staff would forward the complaints to the police as
they had no alternate means of providing support,” said DCW Chairperson
Swati Maliwal.
Explaining that the functioning of the
helpline so far, Ms. Maliwal said if a woman in distress called 181 to
report that the police was not registering an FIR, the helpline staff,
having no other option, would tell her to continue dealing with the
police.
“But this is going to change now,” she added.
To
take the helpline to the grassroots, the DCW mahila panchayats and
mobile helpline programmes will be linked. The mahila panchayats offer
crisis intervention and legal aid at the community level, and help
tackle marital disputes and domestic violence cases. Through the mobile
helpline, counsellors either counsel the people involved in the incident
or provide help in registering an FIR. Even medical assistance for
women in distress is provided. If required, the victim is rescued and
often provided temporary shelter.
Under the mahila
panchayat programmes, an NGO in each Assembly constituency will be
linked with the Commission, which will have three to four personnel
working at the grass-root level on issues like domestic violence and
police inaction. Complaints received by the helpline will be forwarded
to the mahila panchayats whenever need arises.
From
now on, the mobile helpline van will act as first responders if a 181
caller requires immediate assistance. The Commission has invited NGOs
working at the grass-root level to be a part of the mobile helpline
programme.
“There is no existing mechanism to ensure
the accountability of callers and subsequently monitoring them.
Furthermore, there is need for immediate upgrading of software. Once the
181 helpline is effectively functional and linked with the grassroots
expansion, it will be widely advertised as a part of a large scale
awareness campaign,” said Ms. Maliwal.
In its maiden budget, the AAP govt had increased allocation to the DCW to Rs.7 crore from Rs.3.75 crore