Bhubaneswar: The alarming rise in incidents of crime against women in the state notwithstanding, available data reveals that the major chunk of the amount approved by the Centre under the Nirbhaya Fund for various women-centric initiatives remains unutilised by the Odisha Police.
For instance, the state government received Rs 2,532.49 lakh from the Nirbhaya Fund from 2016 till January 2021 end, but Rs 1,872.42 lakh could not be spent for the safety and well-being of women during the period.
According to the response to an RTI application filed by this correspondent, the state government received Rs 948.71 lakh to implement the National Emergency Support System (NERS), or the 112 Emergency Helpline number, in 2016-17 fiscal. The Home department received another Rs 56.28 lakh for the same purpose three years later – in 2019.
It was only recently that the state government launched the single emergency helpline number 112 replacing multiple numbers like 100 (police), 101 (Fire Services), 102 (ambulance), 104 (Covid-19), 108 (disaster), 181 (women helpline) and 1089 (child helpline) for emergency help.
While over Rs 10 crore was allocated by the MHA to implement the project, the state police could only utilise Rs 342.25 lakh. The remaining Rs 662.74 lakh is lying idle in the state coffers.
Similarly, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs allocated Rs 628.50 lakh to strengthen the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) by procuring advanced technologies and equipment for accuracy in DNA analysis, cyber forensic facilities and other related scientific analysis.
Of the entire amount allocated for the strengthening of the forensic laboratory, only 11.42 per cent (Rs 71.82 lakh) has been spent till March 2021. The above amount has been spent on facilitating an advanced DNA analysis system at the SFSL.
Another Rs 5 crore was received by the state for strengthening the almost defunct women help desks at various police stations across the state. The state police were successful in spending only 49 per cent of the money allocated for strengthening the poorly functioning or non-existent help desks for women at the police stations across the state. Against the amount received, the police spent Rs 2.46 crore for the purpose, while Rs 2.54 crore still remains unspent.
The Union government also allocated Rs 3.99 crore to establish new or reinforce the already established 32 Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) in all the districts of the state.
The state police also did not spend a single paisa out of the allocated Rs 3.99 crore for the strengthening of AIHTUs despite the alarming rise in crime against women and child trafficking incidents.
It is pertinent to mention here that Odisha holds the second spot in the country in human trafficking for the two consecutive years of 2019 (876) and 2020 (741).
Besides, the Empowered Committee constituted under the Nirbhaya project has approved the proposal of Rs 110.35 crore submitted by the Odisha government for the implementation of a safe city project in the Commissionerate Police area (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack), July 21, 2017.
Gyan Ranjan Mohapatra, OP