– Government shut down family counseling centers and women’s helplines back in 2015
– Family counseling sessions continue in Shivpuri, raising questions about parallel systems
Shivpuri:
The Indian Government’s Ministry of Women and Child Development issued orders on December 19, 2014, to shut down family counseling centers and women’s helplines operated through the police department in Madhya Pradesh. The Home Department has also issued clear orders to close these centers. However, despite these directives, the parallel system continues to operate unlawfully in Shivpuri district.
In Shivpuri, the police department has been operating a family counseling center without any official orders, in clear violation of the rules. It is important to note that on February 27, 2024, the Additional Secretary of the Home Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh, also issued guidelines regarding this matter. These guidelines stated that under the Swadhar Greh Scheme, the family counseling centers and women’s helplines operated by the police department were to be shut down from April 1, 2015.
Despite these orders, family counseling centers and women’s helplines have continued to operate in Rewa district, with counselors being appointed and petitions being filed in the High Court for the settlement of pending dues.
On March 26, 2024, the Additional Director General (ADG) issued a letter referring to the directives from the Principal Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Vallabh Bhavan, Bhopal, instructing the immediate closure of family counseling centers and women’s helplines operated by the police department.
The question arises as to how the family counseling center in Shivpuri continued to operate despite the orders issued on March 26, 2024. This situation not only contradicts the correspondence of senior officials but also goes against the sentiments of the petitions filed in court. How can these family counseling centers continue to operate when the Principal Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department has already taken steps to close them as per the directives issued by the Government of India?
This scenario highlights not only a disregard for government orders but also an erosion of trust in the judicial process and governance.
