2-month breather for gender resource centres

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Thursday, after a string of protests from self-help groups and non-profit organisations, decided to give a two-month extension

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Thursday, after a string of protests from self-help groups and non-profit organisations, decided to give a two-month extension to Gender Resource Centres (GRC) project under the Mission Convergence scheme. The project was started by the former Congress government.

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The women and child development department had on May 29 issued a circular to abruptly end the programme. Dozens of NGOs are associated with the GRC that facilitates the common man’s access to social initiatives such as the Aadhaar card and Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana among others.

The order issued by Mission Convergence (Samajik Suvidha Sangam) of the Delhi government directed the “discontinuation of mother NGO, Gender Resource Centres and district resource centre projects under Samajik Suvidha Sangam” from May 31.

A joint association of the NGOs has been protesting against the delay in funds disbursement that has withheld salary distribution to about 1,700 people for the past one year.

“The government has decided to extend the project till July 31. The WCD has also been directed to clear all its dues,” a government spokesperson said.

The government has justified the decision to end the scheme. “The functioning of the Gender Resource Centres extension centres, standalone centres, homeless resource centres, mother NGOs and district resource centres was reviewed and it was observed that the NGOs have not performed as per the mandate given to them,” said the order issued on May 29.