New Delhi, December 5: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday, December 5, sanctioned Rs 100 crores from Nirbhaya Fund for setting up and strengthening of Women Help Desks in Police Stations. The new scheme will be implemented by the states and Union Territories. The Nurbhaya Fund was created in 2013 after the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder case. Uttar Pradesh Police to Develop Lucknow as 'safe City' with Nirbhaya Fund.

According to then Finance Minister P Chidambaram, "this fund is expected to support initiatives by the government and NGOs working towards protecting the dignity and ensuring the safety of women in India." Karna Cabinet Approves Rs 667 Crore Nirbhaya Fund Plan for Safety of Women in Bengaluru.

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The latest data, presented in Lok Sabha by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani in November shows that the ministry has allocated over Rs 2000 crore to various states from Nirbhaya Fund. The Union Home Ministry also released Rs 1,656 in the last five years. However, the utilisation rate of the Nirbhaya Fund has been dismal.

For the funds released by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, only 20 percent has been utilised by the states. In the case of the Union home ministry, over 91 percent of the money sanctions to states and union territories remains unutilised.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 05, 2019 09:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).