New Delhi, April 5 (NationPress) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed serious concerns on Sunday regarding the safety of women and the operation of One Stop Centres (OSCs), claiming that numerous women in crisis are still unable to obtain prompt assistance.

In a message shared on his WhatsApp channel, Gandhi stated: “Women are reaching out for help, yet the government has closed its doors.”

He elaborated: “I raised the question in Parliament: when a woman flees from violence and arrives at a One Stop Centre (OSC), why is she met with locked doors? Why is there a lack of staff? Why are the complaints from various regions of the country being overlooked? What was the government's answer? Everything is deemed ‘satisfactory’. If that’s the case, why do we have so many reports indicating issues within OSCs?”

“If safety is a priority, how can it be that 3 out of every 5 women still do not receive help? Furthermore, why is only 60 paise out of every Rs 100 allocated by the Women and Child Development Ministry being utilized for OSCs?” he questioned.

The Leader of the Opposition continued, “Safety is not merely a program; it is a fundamental obligation of the government. Labeling everything as ‘satisfactory’ does not guarantee safety; it illustrates that the Modi government is not heeding anyone's concerns.”

Gandhi’s comments align with a query he posed in the Lok Sabha on March 27, 2026, where he sought information regarding the functionality of OSCs nationwide. He inquired whether multiple centres were non-operational, not open 24/7, or suffering from staff shortages.

He also requested statistics on the number of women seeking help, the funds allocated and spent, and vacancies for critical roles like administrators, counsellors, and medical personnel.

In response, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur clarified that OSCs function under the Mission Shakti initiative, intended to provide “integrated and immediate assistance” to women facing violence, which includes medical care, legal aid, temporary housing, police support, and psychosocial counselling.

The government stated that “from its launch on April 1, 2015, until December 31, 2025, more than 13.37 lakh women have received assistance” through OSCs across India. It also emphasized that “the overall execution of the OSC scheme rests with the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations,” with funds disbursed according to established guidelines.

Emphasizing the monitoring processes, the ministry mentioned that “the Programme Approval Board (PAB) evaluates the progress of activities under the scheme annually,” and officials conduct consistent assessments through meetings, video calls, and field visits.

The government further asserted that “third-party evaluations conducted by NITI Aayog in 2020 and 2025 indicated that the scheme’s relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability were satisfactory.”

Despite these reassurances, Gandhi argued that ongoing reports of gaps in access and services reveal a disconnect between official claims and the realities faced by women.