Parliament Question: Allocation and Utilisation of Nirbhaya Fund in Assam

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5613 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2026 ALLOCATION AND UTILISATION OF NIRBHAYA FUND IN ASSAM 5613. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) the details of the funds allocated, sanctioned, released/ utilised under the Nirbhaya Fund in Assam during the last five years, year-wise: (b) the details of initiatives approved in the said State under the Fund including One Stop Centres, Women Help Desks, Emergency Response Support System (112), CCTV surveillance, safe transport and other women safety interventions, project-wise; (c) the current status of the implementation of said projects, indicating whether the sanctioned projects are functional/operational, if so, the details thereof; (d) the details of the monitoring/evaluation mechanisms in place to ensure timely completion and effective utilisation of funds, particularly in rural and remote areas of the said State; and (e) whether any new projects have been proposed/approved to strengthen women's safety infrastructure in the said State under the said Fund, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR) (a) to (c): The projects/ schemes that are specifically aimed at ensuring safety and security of women and girls are considered for funding under Nirbhaya Fund. Upto the financial year 2025-26, a total amount of Rs 139.51Crore has been released and utilized out of the Nirbhaya fund for the State of Assam. The Central Government gives highest priority to ensure the safety and security of women and has undertaken various interventions in this regard. Under Nirbhaya Fund, the One Stop Centre (OSC) provides integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence and those in distress, both in private and public spaces. It provides services like medical aid, legal aid and advice, temporary shelter, police assistance and psycho-social counselling to needy women. As on 31.12.2025, 926 OSCs are operational in the country and more than 13.37 lakh women have been assisted. Whereas, 36 OSC’s are operational in the State of Assam and 33869 women have been assisted.Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112),a pan-India, single, internationally recognised number has been established for various emergencies, with computer aided dispatch of field resources to the location of distress. It has been operationalised in all 36 States and UTs of the country and since its official launch in February 2019, ERSS has handled over 56 crore calls by through its nation-wide Centres and 52 Lakh users have downloaded the 112 India mobile application. Government has provided financial assistance to States and UTs for implementation of projects through Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for safety of women in public transport such as customisation, deployment and management of State-wise AIS-140 vehicle tracking platform. Under this project, an amount of Rs. 7.89 Cr. has been released to State of Assam for implementation of the project. Women Help Desks (WHDs) have been set up in Police Stations in all States and UTs to make police stations more women friendly and approachable, as they are the first point of contact for any woman walking into a police station. WHDs have already been set up in 15,049 Police Stations across the country. Out of these, 14,363 WHDs are headed by women police officers. Whereas, 320 WHDs have been set up in the State of Assam and all are headed by women police officers. To ensure the justice delivery to victims of heinous sexual offences, Government has also provided financial assistance for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) including exclusive Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (e-POCSO) courts. As on 31.01.2026, a total of 774 FTSCs including 398 exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) courts are operational in the country, which have disposed of over 3.71 lakh cases. Whereas, 17 e-POCSO courts are operational in the State of Assam and have disposed of 10160 cases since inception. In addition, other women safety interventions under Nirbhaya Fund such as Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF), Cyber Crime Prevention against Women & Children (CCPWC), Strengthening DNA analysis, cyber forensic & related facilities in State Forensic Science Laboratories (SFSLs) and setting up, and strengthening Anti-Human Trafficking Units, are implemented by Ministry of Home Affairs. (d) and (e): The Empowered Committee (EC) constituted under the framework for Nirbhaya Fund initially appraises and recommends the proposals for funding under Nirbhaya Fund. The projects/ schemes under Nirbhaya Fund are demand driven and have staggered implementation schedule. Upon appraisal of a project/ scheme by the EC, the Ministry and Department concerned takes approval of the Competent Financial Authority (CFA) as per the laid down procedure and release fund to the implementing agencies for implementation of the scheme/ project, as per the requirement. The EC also broadly reviews the physical and financial status of approved projects from time to time, in conjunction with the Ministries/ Departments/ Implementing Agencies concerned. Further, implementing agencies both at Central and State Government levels also review the progress of implementation at their level. *****