Ministry of Finance, Government of India had set up a dedicated fund called Nirbhaya Fund for implementation of initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and security for women in the country. Recognizing the need to strengthen the mechanism for scrutiny and sanction of the proposals under Nirbhaya Fund, Ministry of Finance (MoF), Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) has issued guidelines from time to time for administration and operationalization of the Fund. The Empowered Committee of Officers has been constituted by the MoF under the chairpersonship of Secretary, WCD, which is an inter-ministerial committee, and it appraises and recommends various proposals/projects proposed by different Ministries/Departments/States. The concerned Ministries then take up the sanction and implementation of the schemes/proposals so appraised as they do for their other schemes/projects. The allocation of funds is subsequently done by Ministry of Finance, DEA. This Committee regularly reviews the implementation of projects from time to time with the concerned Ministries. Under Nirbhaya fund, 16 proposals amounting to Rs.2348.85 Crores have been received so far, out of which 15 proposals amounting to Rs. 2047.85 Crores have been appraised and recommended by the Empowered Committee. The proposals so appraised are at different stages of implementation and fund is utilized as per the requirement of the project. This information was given by Minister of State for Women & Child Development, Smt Krishna Raj in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today. *****
NB/UD