New Delhi: Highlighting the “pathetic situation” of One Stop Centres (OSCs) set up to help women and child victims of sexual crimes, Delhi High Court on Wednesday gave several directions to streamline their functioning. From creating mass awareness through advertisements in newspapers to installing signboards at prominent locations near public buildings such as schools and hospitals, a bench of Chief Justice D K Sharma and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also appointed a “high-ranking” nodal officer of the Delhi govt to implement its directions on the matter.It also directed the circulation of the standard operating procedure developed for handling child pregnancies and marriages among police personnel manning such centres. Citing an affidavit filed by the Delhi govt in May outlining steps taken, HC put on record that it was “not satisfied with the steps and measures taken” and further said it was “constrained to observe that necessary steps and action which are required to be taken on behalf of the govt and Delhi police have not been taken.”In a slew of directions, the court directed that signboards for creating awareness for OSCs “shall also be displayed in the vicinity of schools, hospitals, railway stations, bus stations, and other conspicuous places. The said signboards and newspaper advertisements, apart from containing the necessary information, shall also contain the helpline number to be contacted in cases of emergency.”HC also took exception to the absence of counsellors in the OSCs and ordered the govt’s Women and Child Development department to fill all vacancies in the OSCs, adding it may hire contractual employees if regular postings take time, clarifying that they will have no right to seek regularisation. In its order, the court recorded the Centre’s stand that it has released sufficient funds to the Delhi govt for the salaries of OSC workers and other purposes. HC’s directions came after taking note of a newspaper report about the paucity of staffers to take care of the victims and other issues plaguing the OSCs, which in turn was flagged in a petition filed by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, represented by advocate Prabhsahay Kaur.The Supreme Court in December 2018 asked the states and Union Territories to set up at least one OSC in every district of the country in the interest of children and women within one year from the passing of the verdict.
