Nirbhaya Fund: how you spend matters

“I have no idea how this fund will be used though it exists on paper,” says activist

“Is it going to be any different from what was promised last year?” That is how leading women’s rights activist Vrinda Grover responded to the announcement by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to set aside Rs. 1000 crore to the Nirbhaya Fund set up in memory of the December 16 Delhi gang rape victim.

Though Ms. Grover was part of a task force that was set up last year to discuss the spending plan for the fund, there was no development whatsoever once it was set up. “I have no idea how this fund will be used though it exists on paper,” she said.

“The Finance Minister’s statement also underlined the need for setting up rape crisis centres in New Delhi, although sexual violence is being reported across the country in greater numbers.” As per the latest National Crime Records Bureau statistics, incidents of reported rape saw a 28 per cent jump from 24,923 cases in 2012 to 31,962 cases in 2013.

“The Nirbhaya Fund should be creatively used to bridge gaps in gender sensitive policing, provision of legal aid and gender sensitive medical services to rape victims. To achieve this, the government must proactively consult experts working in these areas so that concrete plans can be drawn up on how to make the most of this fund,” Ms. Grover said. “Often in the aftermath of rape incidents, there is increased stress on security and surveillance, but what is the point of having more CCTV cameras when there are no specially-trained police personnel to handle rape cases?”

According to senior officials in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, an ambitious proposal has been drawn up to set up 660 rape crisis centres across the country, but it is unclear if these would be funded through the Nirbhaya Fund. “We have sent the proposal to the Expenditure Finance Committee of the Planning Commission for approval,” a senior Ministry official said.

“It is in the hands of the Ministry of Finance currently to decide how to make the fund functional,” the official said, adding that it was desirable that the Ministry be allowed to take a call on its functioning.