Centre releases Rs 54 lakh after staff regularisation
PANAJI
After a two-year hiatus, the Centre has released Rs 54 lakh to Goa for the operation of one-stop centres designed to support women in distress.
These centres, which provide integrated assistance to victims of violence and women facing difficulties, had been left without central funding since 2022.
The renewed allocation comes with a condition: only government employees will staff the centres.
Goa currently has five one-stop centres – three in North Goa and two in South Goa – set up to function as comprehensive support systems for women.
Between 2020 and 2022, the Centre had sanctioned Rs 30 lakh annually for the initiative. However, funding was withheld for the subsequent two years after the State government failed to recruit staff for the centres.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development had made it clear that staffing was a prerequisite for continued financial support.
In recent months, the State’s Women and Child Welfare Department conducted recruitment drives and filled the long-pending vacancies. With the centres now staffed by government employees, the Centre has agreed to restore funding.
A senior official confirmed that the decision was linked directly to the staffing issue.
“The funding has been reinstated because the centres are now manned by government employees, ensuring accountability and continuity,” the official said.
The One Stop Centre (OSC) scheme is part of the Mission Shakti Sambhal programme, which aims to provide immediate and comprehensive support to women under one roof. Services offered include medical aid, legal advice, police assistance, temporary shelter, and psycho-social counselling. The centres are fully funded by the Union government.
With the renewed funding, Goa’s OSCs are expected to strengthen their outreach and provide timely intervention for women in need.
