One Stop Centre ‘Sakhi’ inaugrated at Udupi

Team Udayavani, Mar 6, 2018, 11:38 AM IST

Udupi: Union minister for Women and Child Welfare Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated the one-stop service centre ‘Sakhi Kendra’ at Nittur here.

Addressing the gathering, Gandhi said, “This is for the first time that a one stop service centre for women is set up in Karnataka. I am privileged to be part of this programme.”

Maneka praised Shobha Karandalje for her developmental activities in this state and said, “Shobha is hard working. She had requested me for this centre to be set up here. Post Nirbhaya rape case, question rose on the safety of women who are exploited by husband or raped. In India, these women survivors approach police department for help but in many cases police take them lightly or ignore them by saying that your dress was not correct or you might not be treated well by husband or as a daughter-in-law,”

“So many of them are even afraid to report their issues and suffer in silence. I do not know much about south Indian police. There were instances where police exploited women victims. As I have heard that north Indian police are more dangerous than other states, we decided to implement 33% women reservation in police stations and made it mandatory. At least two women police officers should be there for five policemen in each station.

“The Sakhi Kendra will have helpline number, nurses, counselors, lawyer, a police officer and other required services under one stop, she said,”

“The department has decided to set Sakhi Kendra in other districts such as Mysuru, Dharwad, Chamarajnagar, Chitradurga, Bagalkot, Tumkuru and Udupi. We have already set up 171 such service centres across the nation in three years from 2015 till now where thousands of women are getting help.

District in-charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj said, “The one stop centre for women will help the exploited women and protect their rights assured in the constitution.”

Udupi DC, Priyanka Mary Francis, Venkatalakshmi Basavalingaraju, president, Karnataka state social welfare board, Vanitha Thorvi, chairperson, state women and child rights protection commission, Meenakshi Madhav Bannanje, president of Udupi council, Dinakar Babu, president, Udupi zilla panchayat, Sheela K Shetty, vice president, Udupi zilla panchayat, Gracy Gonsalvese, deputy director, Women and Child welfare department were present on the occasion.