Maharashtra govt plans expansion of women counselling centres

Mumbai: The functioning of women counselling centres across Maharashtra came under scrutiny in the Legislative Council on Thursday, with members raising concerns over inadequate manpower, poor infrastructure and low honorariums for counsellors who provide support to women and children in distress.

Women and child development minister Aditi Tatkare said 135 counselling centres are currently functioning in the state and the govt plans to expand the network to cover all talukas.She further informed the House that a proposal to substantially increase the honorarium of counsellors has been prepared and will be submitted to the govt for approval.Raising a calling attention motion, MLC Madhavi Naik said the counselling centres, operating from police stations and other locations, play a crucial role in addressing cases of domestic violence, abuse and family disputes.

However, many centres are struggling due to insufficient funds, delayed grants and inadequate facilities. Naik pointed out that counsellors currently receive an honorarium of only Rs 12,000 per month, revised from Rs 8,000 in 2014, despite increasing responsibilities and workload.

She noted that a proposal seeking a revision in honorarium was submitted to the women and child development department in June 2025, but a decision is still pending.

She urged the govt to increase the number of centres, enhance financial allocations, ensure timely release of funds and provide better training to counsellors.Tatkare said grants to counselling centres would be increased to strengthen their functioning and improve services for women and children.BJP MLC Chitra Wagh backed the demand for a “respectable and significant” honorarium hike, saying counsellors play a vital role in helping women facing distress and violence. She also sought expansion of One Stop Crisis Centres (Sakhi Centres), noting that one of the facilities in Mumbai had stopped functioning.Tatkare assured members that the govt would examine all suggestions regarding One Stop Centres and continue efforts to strengthen support mechanisms for women across Maharashtra.