BHAWANIPATNA: The recent escape of 12 inmates from a government-run shelter home in Bhawanipatna has put the focus back on the rehabilitation of women who have survived domestic and sexual violence in the State.
Sources said 12 inmates of Supravat Sudhar Home ran off a few days back, reportedly out of frustration of living in the institution for a long period. Six of them are yet to be traced and the police are in search of them.
The rest six are said to have approached the district social welfare officer (DSWO) and urged to be sent back home out of frustration of living in the shelter home for over four to five years. The DSWO then sent the inmates to their respective homes after consulting their guardians.
The incident has brought to light the lack of coordination in running of shelter homes. Supravat Sudhar home is being run by the Women and Child Development (WCD) department in collaboration with a local NGO Gangadhar Yuvak Sangh since 2005.
The facility currently houses 58 inmates against the permitted capacity of 30. The centre also accommodates girls rescued by the police for short stays despite a lack of resources. For each inmate, an amount of `1,300 per month is sanctioned for food and other day-to-day expenses. But for the last eight months, the shelter home has reportedly not received funds which include the salaries of the staffers.
Sudhar home superintendent Jayasri Dash admitted that inmates get frustrated and long to return to their families but since their relatives refuse to accept them, these women are made to stay for long periods.
DWSO Diptimayee Patra, however, claimed the centre is functioning effectively. As per the utilisation certificate of the centre, 60 per cent of funds come from the Centre, 30 pc from State and the rest by the organisation managing it.
“Usually, fund allotment is made on a quarterly or half-yearly basis and the centre has to manage in the gap period. Women are forced to stay here for years as families are often unwilling to take them back,” she reiterated.