KOCHI: Officials of the Women and Child Development Department (WCD) in Ernakulam still remember the elderly woman who was raped and nearly killed. She was living alone in her house. Women Protection Officer Deepa M S recollects the agony of having to make the victims retell the horrors she faced to prepare the report.
In cases like these, the victims are provided with a relief fund shelled out by the Nirbhaya project under the ‘Aswasa Nidhi’ scheme. However, the victims are usually reluctant to claim the amount, says Deepa. “There are many challenges when it comes to identifying deserving victims and dispersing the funds. Reports have to be verified with the police as well as the district medical office. In cases of crimes involving multiple suspects, the reports are likely to be delayed. However, we get plenty of support from the police and the DMO,” she adds.
When the project started in 2018, Rs 3 crore was earmarked for it. However, in Ernakulam district, only 12 women have benefitted from this scheme in the last three years! The women protection officer transfers the amount after identifying the female victims. In case of violence against minors, the amount is disbursed by the district child protection officer. Last year, four children benefited from the scheme in Ernakulam.
“Another challenge is the fake complaints, especially in case of rape and domestic violence. We have to put in a lot of effort to identify the right beneficiaries, so that fraudsters don’t dig into government funds,” she added.
Increasing awareness
Things are not different at the state level either, says Nirbhaya state coordinator Sreela Menon. According to her, the delay in receiving clear information about the case usually prevents the victim from getting aid. Across the state, from 2018 to 2020, only 49 female victims received funds after suffering domestic violence. Things suddenly improved in 2020-21, when 143 women came forward to receive funds. However, more awareness about the project is needed to reach out to more beneficiaries, she said.
“Delays can occur in many ways. For example, if you report the crime three or five years later, you lose the eligibility to get financial aid under this project, and will instead receive compensation. The number of applicants in the first two years was very less, but this has changed. More funds were disbursed for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases and domestic violence cases,” Sreela said.
She added that in some cases if the officials find that the victim’s financial situation delayed the proceedings, they relax the norms and help the victim with it. Aswasa Nidhi transfers the fund to the victim’s account within a week or a maximum of 10 days.
Grey area
Police and WCD department officials claim that identifying the right beneficiaries can be hard in most cases that involve multiple suspects
Especially in cases of domestic violence, any foul play has to be ruled out before dispersing funds to ensure that couples don’t play along and take advantage of the scheme meant to help victims
How to avail of the relief fund?
A victim can directly approach the district women protection office and seek help. For minors, the petition should reach the district child protection officer. Within the department, a committee puts the petitions under scrutiny and shortlists the deserving victims. The applications received at all the district women protection offices and district child protection offices will be sent to the state office in Thiruvananthapuram. From the state office, the shortlisted names would be sent to the state coordinator for her verification. After verification, the list is sent to the accounts officer and then to the finance officer. After verification, the list is approved by the Women and Child Development director, who is the final authority sanctioning funds.
The project initiated in 2018 aimed to immediately provide financial assistance to victims
Relief funds earmarked for women who face violence
Victim of acid attack Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh
Loss of life Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh
Sexual assault on minor Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh
Pregnancy due to rape Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh
Loss of limb/part of body Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh
Loss of fertility/misscarriage Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh
Burning Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh
Rape/gangrape/unnatural sexual offence Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh
Physical/mental injury due to DV** Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000
Victims of trafficking Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000