J&K Govt to setup ‘One Stop Centers’ to protect women from sexual abuse

Jammu, Dec 15  : The Jammu and Kashmir Government is setting up ‘One-Stop Centers’ (OSC) in every district of Jammu and Kashmir to prevent and protect women from sexual abuse at public, private or workplaces.

To implement the initiative, the government has constituted a seven-member committee that would finalise arrangements for the implementation of guidelines regarding the setting up of OSC in every district.

The committee headed by Principal Secretary to the Government, Social Welfare would establish the infrastructure required for OSC in accordance with the guidelines and SOPS issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.

The committee would also prepare a proposal for providing the services required at OSCs, such as emergency response and rescue services, medical assistance, assistance to women in lodging FIR/NCR/DIR, psycho-social counseling, legal aid counselling, shelter, video conferencing to the victims and survivors of rape sexual abuse.

The committee would facilitate legal aid and counseling to women victims of sexual violence to enable them to have free legal aid or advice and access to justice through an empanelled lawyers, or UT/ district legal services authority.

Moreover, the committee would provide a temporary shelter facility to aggrieved women.
“For long term shelter requirements, arrangements shall be made with swadhar greh/ short stay homes (managed affiliated with Government/ NGO),” the order reads.

“The committee will also provide video conferencing facility to the women victims of sexual violence to enable them to have access to speedy and hassle free police and court proceedings,” order reads.

The committee shall submit its initial suggestions by 30 January 2021 and shall be serviced by the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Department.

The other members in the committee include Secretary to the Government, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs, representatives of Director General of Police, J&K (no below the rank of Inspector General of police), Mission Director, Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), representative of Home Department (not below the rank of Special Secretary), representative of State Legal Services Authority, representative of Director Health Services, Jammu/Kashmir (not below the rank of Deputy Director).
Charu Sinha, IG, CRPF, J&K shall be a special invitee in the Committee.