Submit report on status of one-stop-centres: Women’s panel to govt

“The Commission, under Section 10(2)(b) of the Act, hereby directs you to submit a detailed report regarding the status of OSC in the State since its implementation. A neatly tabulated data showing name and address of the OSC, personnel deployed, infrastructure available, availability and utilization of funds every year since inception, NGOs and other organizations involved inter alia, maybe submitted to the Commission at the earliest,” read the letter issued by the commission to the state Chief Secretary on Thursday.

The Indian Express article had outlined how the OSC established after after the December 16, 2012 Delhi gang rape incident have failed to take off. On an average, only one of the 110 rape cases registered in Mumbai is referred to the OSC. An investigation revealed several challenges, including lack of awareness, infrastructure, lack of coordination between departments, police apathy and hesitancy among women.

The centre at KEM hospital—the biggest civic-run hospital that caters to 54 lakh women in Mumbai city — has only one bed against the initial plan to set up five beds, as mandated by the Centre’s guidelines.

In 2020, the Maharashtra State Commission for Women submitted a report to the Women and Child Development (WCD) ministry that of the 11 OSCs that were subject to a study, nine didn’t function for 24 hours, nine had no trained staff, multiple centres had lack of infrastructure, nine had no implementing agency or NGO to monitor them.

“The news articles highlight the lack of adequate infrastructure, non utilization of funds, lack of sensitivity of the Police and hospital personnel in handling the cases, indicating administrative apathy,” reads the letter.