Ranchi, Sept. 10: The first unit of Sakhi, a one-stop help centre for women, is ready to open its doors to victims of physical and sexual violence at Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (Rinpas), Kanke.
Its formal inauguration by state social welfare, women and child development minister Louise Marandi is expected anytime this month.
The centre was supposed to start in 2013 but got delayed over finalising its location and other nitty-gritty. Finally, present principal secretary of state social welfare department Mukhmeet Bhatia took the initiative to launch it at Rinpas.
"We will inaugurate the centre this month but the date hasn't been fixed. Since space has been provided by Rinpas, our department will bear the operational cost, besides salary of the staff," said Bhatia.
Sakhi, meant for providing immediate legal and psychological help to the victims of violence, is an initiative of the Union ministry of women and child development under the "Nirbhaya Fund", dedicated to the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim. Sakhi, which means a friend in Hindi, is being implemented by the social welfare department and will provide services like temporary shelter, police and medical assistance and legal and psycho-social counselling to the victims under one roof.
Rinpas has readied the infrastructure and already appointed three temporary case workers who will provide legal and psychological counselling. The women social workers, with three years' experience in the field, were selected on the basis of an interview held at Rinpas on August 22. They will get a monthly remuneration of Rs 18,000.
About the services to be offered, Bhatia said the centre has four beds. "But, we do not have any provision to keep the victims. After initial counselling, they will be sent back home," said the officer.
Masroor Jahan, associate professor of clinical psychology at Rinpas, who is handling the project, said the victims of rape or physical violence would be given temporary legal and psychological counselling. ?"For those below 18 years of age, we will have to work with the Juvenile Justice Board under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012," said Jahan.
