Bhopal: NGOs To Be Ousted From Shelter Homes For Women, Children

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to take over the shelter homes for women and children being run by the NGOs in different parts of the state. They will now be operated by the government directly. The decision has been taken in view of the 'sensitive' nature of these institutions and following the Union Governmentís advisory.

The shelter homes for women and children in the state include Shakti Sadans, One Stop Centres and Child Care Institutions (CCIs). There are a total of 14 Shakti Sadans, of which two are in Bhopal. All the Sadans which meant for women victims of domestic violence, crimes and deserted women, are being run by NGOs. The One Stop Centres are meant for women survivors of abuse, violence, and trauma. Currently, there is only one 'One Stop Centre' in the state which is located in Bhopal.

There are 60 CCIs in the state, which are meant for children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law. Of these, only four are being run by the government and the rest by NGOs. The One Stop Centre, for instance, is run by Action Aid. Similarly, 'Nirbhaya' Foundation in the city is also being run by an NGO. The government used to give grants to these institutions for running the homes.

Joint director in the state women and child development department Suresh Tomar, said that once the institutions are taken over by the government, departmental officers would be appointed as their heads (designated as superintendents) and the rest of the staff would be outsourced.

'I don't know the exact reason behind this but I think the decision may be taken as the government feels that its own officials are 'more responsible' than the NGOs and can be taken to task if any irregularity is reported from any institution or an unsavoury incident takes place,' Tomar added.

Last year, the ministry of women and child development (WCD) had decided to do away with NGOs collaborating to run the Childline emergency counselling and distress helpline for children, established in 1995. The ministry had also decided to merge the Childline 1098 service with the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) number 112.