Nirbhaya Fund Gets Rs 1,000 cr Every Year, But No One’s Using It

The fund was among a series of measures taken in 2013 by the then-UPA government in memory of Nirbhaya.

The Nirbhaya Fund was among series of measures taken by the government following the outrage over the Delhi-gangrape. (Photo: Reuters)

Every year, the government allocates Rs 1,000 crore to the Nirbhaya fund, meant for schemes to ensure safety for women. However, the amount remains unutilised every year, the Times of India reported.

The fund was set up after the horrific gangrape and subsequent death of a medical student in Delhi on 16 December 2012. The fund was among a series of measures taken by the then-UPA government in memory of Nirbhaya, the victim of the appalling incident.

Since the last two budgets, the NDA government has continued allocating the funds but has failed to come up with schemes to employ the funds.

According to the report, the scope of the fund includes supporting NGOs working for the safety of women, but none could be shortlisted in the last three years.

According to the report, when the Union finance account for 2015-16 was tabled in Parliament, the government had devised two schemes – a Rs 653 crore scheme for "safety of women on public road transport" under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Nirbhaya project worth Rs 79.6 crore under the home ministry.

Neither of these schemes were actually employed, and as a result, all of the proposed allocation remained as unspent.

(Source: Times of India)