Jammu: Claiming that the centrally-sponsored Sakhi scheme is a non-starter in Jammu and Kashmir, the local unit of BJP on Wednesday asked the administration to carry out an awareness campaign about the scheme meant for the welfare of women.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also demanded setting up of a new women’s commission to address the grievances of women amid rise in domestic violence during the lockdown amid coronavirus pandemic.
“It is unfortunate that the Sakhi – One Stop Centre (OSC), intended to support the women affected by violence in private and public spaces, is left only on papers as the women across the union territory have no knowledge about the scheme,” BJP spokesperson Rajni Sethi told reporters here.
Sethi, a former women wing president of J&K BJP, said although the scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government a few years back, still nobody knows about it due to lack of awareness campaign and passive attitude by the concerned department.
Referring to her recent visit to various remote parts of the UT, Sethi said the incidents of domestic violence against women have increased during lockdown but the women are not aware of the scheme.
“A proper awareness campaign in this regard with the activism of the concerned department is the need of the hour so that the needy women could use this service which can save their lives,” she said.
She demanded setting up of various OSC’s with adequate helpline numbers.
“Majority of the domestic violence cases go unreported due to lack of knowledge about the government schemes,” the BJP leader said.
