Govt utilises 76 pc of Nirbhaya Fund to ensure women’s safety: Minister
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday said that it has utilised Rs 5,846.08 crore, which is nearly 76 per cent of the Nirbhaya Fund, to enhance women’s safety and security.
A total amount of Rs 7,712.85 crore has been allocated Under the Nirbhaya Fund up to the financial year 2024-25.
To ensure that the police stations are more women friendly and approachable, as they would be the first and single point of contact for any woman walking into a police station, 14,658 Women Help Desks (WHDs) have been set up, of which 13,743 are headed by women police officers, informed Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, in Rajya Sabha.
Cyber forensic-cum-training labs have also been established in 33 states/UTs, with 24,264 people trained in handling cyber-related cases.
To provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence and facilitate immediate, emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services including police, medical, legal aid and counselling, psychological support to fight against any forms of violence against women, 802 OSCs have been made functional in 36 states/UTs wherein over 10.80 lakh women have been assisted so far.
To provide help and support to needy women and women in distress, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) has been established in all states and UTs for various emergencies, with computer aided dispatch of field/ police resources, the minister informed.
Since its launch, over 43 crore calls have been handled so far.
In addition to ERSS, a fully functional dedicated women helpline (WHL-181) is operational, except in West Bengal. The WHL has also been integrated with ERSS. So far, women helplines have handled over 2.10 crore calls and assisted over 84.43 lakh women, the minister added.
To ensure that justice is delivered to unfortunate women and young girls who are victims of heinous sexual offences, the government has been providing financial assistance to States/ UTs for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) since 2019.
So far, 790 fast-track special courts (FTSCs) have been approved, out of which 745 including 404 exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) courts are operational in 30 States/UTs, having disposed of more than 3,06,000 cases of rape, and offences under POCSO Act across the country, Thakur said.
