Delhi govt tells district officers to file report on One Stop Centres
The order for the visit was issued on Wednesday – a day after HT reported on the poor state of most OSCs
The Delhi government’s women and child development (WCD) department has directed district officers to visit all one-stop centres (OSCs) across the city and file detailed reports on their current condition, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.

The order for the visit was issued on Wednesday – a day after HT reported on the poor state of most OSCs, which were found lacking in basic infrastructure and essential services.
An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that special director (WCD) Navlendra Kumar Singh issued the directive to all district officers, asking them to assess the availability and functionality of appliances like coolers and fans, and to document broader procedural issues at the centres.
“A district officer visited the OSC on Wednesday and asked us how many coolers, fans and other appliances are working here. And what other problems we are facing,” the official said.
Another official said that they have also been informed that the district officer will visit their OSC for a report.
A third official confirmed that district visits were underway and added that instructions had been given to submit a proper, comprehensive report, unlike the “mechanical” surveys usually conducted. “This time, the reports have to reflect ground reality,” the official said.
Singh could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts.
OSCs were launched in 2019 to serve as single-window assistance centres for women facing domestic, sexual, or psychological abuse. However, as HT revealed on Tuesday, many centres are falling apart—plagued by budgetary neglect and official indifference. During visits to five OSCs, HT found women stuck in suffocating rooms with no water, no working fans or coolers, and no trained counsellors.
Across multiple OSCs, core services such as police assistance and legal aid are inconsistently available, directly violating guidelines set by the ministry of women and child development.
The ministry’s guidelines mandate round-the-clock infrastructure, full-time legal and psychological support, and access to shelter and police help.
ABOUT THE AUTHORHemani BhandariHemani Bhandari is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in New Delhi, where she reports on crime, policing, governance and social issues. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she specialises in combining on-ground reporting with evidence-based storytelling to examine the human impact of public policy, law enforcement and urban governance. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major developments in the capital, including crime investigations, civic challenges, protests, and issues affecting vulnerable communities. As a Special Correspondent, she focuses on producing exclusive investigations, enterprise stories and long-form features that go beyond daily news cycles. She has a keen interest in using public records, official data and field reporting to uncover systemic issues and present complex subjects in an accessible manner. A graduate of the Asian College of Journalism, Hemani believes in rigorous, ethical and evidence-based reporting. She is passionate about investigative journalism and continuously seeks to expand her skills in data journalism, open-source investigations and digital reporting techniques.Read More
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