All help under one roof in UP dists for women in distress

Rape victims, acid attack survivors or those facing domestic violence can now get counselling, legal and medical aid and police assistance under one roof at Asha Jyoti Kendra. The centre has started functioning opposite Moti Lal Nehru (Colvin) Divisional Hospital on Katju Road.

The previous Samajwadi Party government had sanctioned funds for setting up these centres as a pilot project in 11 districts. These include Bareilly, Agra, Meerut, Noida, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Kannauj, Lucknow, Allahabad, Gorakhpur and Varanasi. In April, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced that Asha Jyoti Kendra would soon be opened in all the districts of UP. For this Women and Child Welfare Department had to prepare a blueprint.

A district steering committee led by the district magistrate will manage these centres. Besides, DM, district probation officer, director women welfare department, chief medical officer, senior police officials and officers of the lead banks would be the member of the committee.

According to district magistrate Allahabad Sanjay Kumar even the girls facing any kind of mental harassment as a result of eve-teasing can also report at Asha Jyoti Kendra for lodging a case. Dowry victims can also take legal assistance at this centre from reputed lawyers of the city. “The facilities that would be offered to distressed women would also include medical aid, immediate police assistance and rescue van in case of domestic violence, short-term stay and trauma-counseling facilities. Victims can call at Women Helpline number 181 for immediate assistance. The centre would function in coordination with police, health and other departments,” the DM informed.

Kumar said the centre would also be providing vocational training to the survivors so that they could become financially independent. Different welfare schemes of the UP government would also be made available to women at these centres, he further informed. Chief medical officer Dr Alok Verma said he recently referred a case of 17-year-old victim who survived rape attempt to the district probation officer so that it could be taken up at Asha Jyoti Kendra. The miscreants stabbed her with knife. “She’s undergoing treatment at the government hospital in Allahabad,” he added.

THE PREVIOUS SAMAJWADI PARTY GOVERNMENT HAD SANCTIONED FUNDS FOR SETTING UP THESE CENTRES AS A PILOT PROJECT IN 11 DISTRICTS