One-Stop centres to deliver enhanced support services to women

Nandyal: District Collector G Raja Kumari has directed the staff of One-Stop Centres to provide improved assistance and support to women affected by violence. The directive came during the Integrated Women’s Empowerment Committee meeting held on Friday at the Collectorate’s video conference hall. The meeting was attended by key officials including ICDS PD Tejashwari, DEO Janardhan Reddy, ITDA PO Venkata Shivaprasad, and others.

Addressing the gathering, Collector emphasized the importance of delivering timely and effective aid through the One-Stop Centres established across the district. Since its inauguration on August 1, 2024, the centres have registered 32 cases to date. She urged the staff to maintain comprehensive documentation of all cases.

Furthermore, the Collector instructed that women sheltered at the One-Stop Centres should receive continuous counselling, and their well-being should be regularly monitored. She also ordered that the Collectorate should prominently display emergency contact numbers for women, including the One-Stop Centre’s address and Childline (CWC) helpline numbers for quick access. Highlighting preventive measures, Raja Kumari stressed the need to raise awareness about POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) from the student stage itself, which could significantly reduce such cases. To control child marriages, she recommended verifying the birthdates of brides and grooms when booking marriage venues. Additionally, she directed the process for filling the vacant position of psycho-social counsellor at the One-Stop Centre to be expedited. She called for the introduction of self-defense courses across all schools in the district starting June, to be completed by September.

The Collector also emphasized the necessity for all students and women to download the “Shakti” app to facilitate immediate help and support. The One-Stop Centre staff and Shakti team were tasked with conducting awareness programs in all schools and colleges to educate female students about their rights and available protections. The committee meeting was also attended by Youth Welfare Officer Venugopal, Child Welfare Committee Chairperson Zubeda Begum, District Treasury Officer Lakshmidevi, Social Welfare Officer Chintamani, Minority Welfare Officer Sabiha Parveen, police officials, and others.