11 thousand complaints redressed under Usha Kiran Yojna

Bhopal. Usha Kiran Yojna, which has started since the year 2007 in Madhya Pradesh is yielding better results. So far, 22,141 complaints have been received under the scheme launched to provide protection and assistance to women affected by domestic violence. Of these, about 11 thousand complaints have been redressed. In all, 8,481 complaints have been disposed of through Family Counselling Centres and 2,512 by courts. Besides, women were provided shelter facility in 537 cases and 96 women were provided medical facility.
Minimum complaints have been received in Singrauli, Alirajpur and Harda districts where six each women had appealed to Family Counselling Centres to free them from domestic violence. Maximum 5,346 complaints have been received in Betul district followed by 3,862 in Jabalpur district. Service providers have played active role in speedy disposal of cases.
Installation of toll-free number 1091 for helpline in all the districts is in process for running the scheme successfully. Concerning persons will be able to contact this toll-free number from BSNL landline connections. Training has also been imparted to counsellors of Family Counseling Centres and employees of women’s help desks at Academy of Administration. So far, about 500 counsellors have been trained.
It may be mentioned that it has been decided to deploy private Protection Officers at district level (police) Family Counselling Centres instead of Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) of the Woman and Child Development Department. District superintendent of police and presidents of district-level Family Counselling Centres are being directed regarding appointment of Protection Officers.
Procedure for appointment of private Protection Officers has also been prescribed. Their selection will be made by reconstituted managing committees of district-level Family Counselling Centres. Every district will have to send proposal and recommendation for appointment of one Protection Officer so that orders for their appointment can be issued. Superintendents of Police and presidents of district-level Family Counselling Centres have been asked to give top priority to this work.