Operations of Swadhar Greh Centres affected as grants halt

In the absence of any grants for over two and a half years, the operation of the shelter centres for women under the Swadhar Greh scheme has been disrupted. In order to cover their operating expenses, many centres take out loans. In the scheme for destitute and helpless women, there are three centres in Thiruvananthapuram, two in Ernakulam, and one each in Idukki and Malappuram.

According to the central government, starting in 2022, the Swadhar Greh and Ujjwala projects, which are managed by various voluntary organizations, will be known as Shaktisadans. The program was part of Mission Shakti. In addition, the counsellor position has also been abolished.

Counsellors from one-stop centres work part-time at Swadhar Greh. But, individuals who have been subjected to various forms of trauma will be able to open their minds only through regular contact with the counselor. There is, therefore, a need for regular counsellors, centres in all districts, wage revisions, and timely disbursement of grants. NGOs were informed about these issues during a consultation held jointly by the National Commission for Women and the State Commission for Women in Thiruvananthapuram. NGOs working in the field of women's empowerment in South Indian states were invited to participate in this consultation.

Earlier, the maximum number of individuals allowed in Swadhar Greh was 30. The number of participants has now been increased to fifty. The grant totalled 14.90 lakhs per year. They were provided with food, medicine, and clothing from this amount. The amount for the relevant year was paid by March 31 until three years ago. The funds are split between the central and state governments 60:40.

As the central government has not released the funds, the state government has also not released their share. Here, employees are paid less than at facilities run directly by the central and state governments, like One Stop Centre and Snehita.