The government order to shut down the Santhwana Kendras in the State has drawn flak from various quarters, including leaders of the Opposition.
The centres were introduced in 2002 for women in distress who are victims of domestic violence and marital discord. The centres also provided counselling to such women.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah has written to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa condemning the move and demanded that the centres be reopened. Janata Dal (S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy criticised the move in a series of tweets.
Former Governor and Union Minister Margaret Alva too has written to the Chief Minister to reconsider the decision as many women were having serious problems of domestic violence and physical as well as mental abuse during the lockdown. She also questioned why such a pivotal programme for women was being cut.
The decision to shut the centres was taken by the State government reportedly after one-stop centres to address similar issues were started by the Union government. However, senior officials in the department said that Santhwana centres had remained open during the lockdown, but women in distress were unable to reach them because of the restrictions on movement.
