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Synopsis

The Social Welfare Department of the State Government of Tamil Nadu has informed the Madras High Court that the Government of India has approved 38 One Stop Centres (OSC), i.e., one centre per district in Tamil Nadu, including one additional centre for Chennai. 

The status report filed by the Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department before the bench of Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy stated that out of these 38 OSCs, new buildings have been constructed for 30 centres.

OSCs are the centres intended to provide assistance to women impacted by violence in various places, including private and public spaces, within the family, community, and the workplace.

The status report was placed in a petition filed by one Krishnapriya Foundation seeking direction to the Central and State Governments to consider its representation dated April 11, 2019, for framing a scheme for the establishment of counselling centres in each of the police Stations throughout the State of Tamil Nadu. The petitioner also sought the establishment of One Stop Centres in various hospitals run by the Government.

The report further mentioned that for the districts of Tiruchirappalli, Pudukottai, Kallakurichi, Ranipet and Tiruppathur, the first instalment fund has been received for the construction of One Stop Centre (OSCs) at the rate of Rs.60 lakh per centre.

However, the Public Works Department submitted that the said amount is insufficient to construct the centres for the year 2023- 2024 and a request has been made to sanction additional funds at the rate of Rs.86.50 lakh per centre.

The status report mentioned that land identification is under process for the construction of OSCs functioning in the government hospital buildings at Chengalpet and Kancheepuram.

Court noted that the OSCs at some of the places have started functioning and 63285 cases were registered in the OSCs till January 2024.

"The government shall take steps to fill up the vacancies, if any, in the said One Stop Centres on priority basis," the court ordered. 

Moreover, it directed that the remaining eight OSCs shall be constructed expeditiously and the departments concerned shall coordinate and take earnest efforts to establish the OSCs at the remaining places. 

"We expect that all the 38 One Stop Centres would start functioning within six to eight months," court stressed. 

With these observations, court disposed of the petition while seeking a status report filed by the authorities qua the further progress on or before April 25, 2024, i.e. the next date of hearing in the matter. 

Case Title: Krishnapriya Foundation v. UOI And Others