Shelter homes in Delhi: DCW seeks information from WCD department
NEW DELHI: Delhi Commission for Women has sought the details of shelter homes running in Delhi. DCW has sent notice to Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) and Social Welfare of NCT seeking the information. It has set up an expert committee for social audit of shelter homes running in Delhi. Departments should submit the information by August 16 along with supportive documents.
DCW Chief Swati Maliwal has sought complete information about shelter homes for women and children and old age homes running in Delhi, said an official. “Information such as –name, address and other details of all shelter homes for women and girls, old-age homes, homes for mentally challenged etc should be submitted to the commission,” added the official. In the letter DCW noted, “Details of grants released by the Government (if any) for each shelter home for women and girls since January 2012 till date with detailed year wise, head-wise break-up, as well as details of utilization thereof, should be submitted.”
The departments will also submit a number of social audits or inspections undertaken by the Government for each shelter home for women and girls since 2012 along with detailed reports of each. “Details of visits undertaken by Secretary WCD/DSW, Director WCD, and other department officials as well as other agencies/officials to all shelter homes for women and girls since January 2012,” noted the letter. It also asked that Details of complaints received against the mismanagement of these shelter homes since 2012 and action taken should be submitted along with the details of sanctioned staff and current staff allocated for each shelter home. The DCW with the expert team will interview all women and child inmates to do a reality check on the functioning of the shelter homes in Delhi. Detailed conversations will help the commission assess the ground realities at these homes. Surprise visits are the only way forward to take corrective measures, she said.
“After taking charge as DCW Chief, I visited many such shelters. Yes, the conditions are not always good but we never got any complaint of rape or sexual abuse from the shelters. But this does not mean that we should exclude the shelters, thereafter I ordered an audit,” said Maliwal. She also said that the Commission has itself inspected several govt run shelter homes in Delhi.