SRINAGAR, AUGUST 08 (KNO) : Secretary Social Welfare, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone, Wednesday said that aim of launching Women Helpline Service was to provide a platform for networking among organizations to facilitate rehabilitation of women in need of care and protection.
This was stated by the Secretary during a meeting convened by him to review the functioning of State Resource Centre for women of the state. He said that government has started Women Helpline Service (181) to provide 24 hours immediate response to women affected by violence and taking them to the appropriate authority such as police, one-stop centre and hospital. Dr. Lone said the helpline is also providing proper counselling care and guidance to women facing violence and is aimed to bridge the gap between various government and non-government agencies in this regard. “It will activate entire machinery for better and focused outcomes in the area of women welfare,” he added.
On the occasion, Mission Director National Mission for Empowerment of Women, Rifat Asif, said that they are implementing schemes like Mahita Shakti Kendra and one Stop Centre for women to provide a coordinated interagency response to violence against women. It was also informed that the state Resource Centre for women is functional since 2014 providing technical assistance in implementing the schemes at the grass root level. Meanwhile, the Secretary Social Welfare directed the concerned officers to organize awareness camps in rural and far-flung areas to make aware the people about the State Resource Centre for women.
He said that the main motive of social welfare schemes is to work for the socio-economical emancipation of underprivileged section of the society and stressed on effective implementation of the schemes. The meeting was attended by Director Finance Social welfare, Director Planning Social Welfare Department, Special Secretary Social Welfare and other concerned. Later, Secretary Social Welfare also convened a meeting to review the functioning of State Commission for backward classes. During the meeting, the Secretary was informed that the commission has recommended 59 new cases for inclusion in RBA this year.