Question : Hostels for Working Women

(a) The details of hostels for working women set up by the Government during the last three years along with the funds sanctioned for their development during the said period;
(b) the current capacity of Government run and Government funded hostels in the country, particularly in Andhra Pradesh along with the steps taken by the Government to ensure security and quality of stay in these hostels;
(c) whether these hostels follow need based enrolment and if so, the categories of working women given preference;
(d) the measures taken to create awareness about these hostels among working women; and
(e) whether the Government plans to encourage public-private partnership in running of these hostels and if so, the details thereof ?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

(a) The details of hostels for working women set up by Government during 2015-16 to 2017-18 is at Annexure A.


(b) Since its inception in 1972-73, 960 hostels have been sanctioned under the scheme all over the country for benefit of about 72,288 working women. To provide safety for working women, a provision has been made to keep security guard and to install CCTV Cameras in Working Women Hostels. To provide quality of stay for working women provision has been made in the Scheme guidelines to provide safe and affordable accommodation for working women with clean and well-ventilated day care centre for the children of inmates, medical first-aid and providing washing machines and geysers/solar water heating system. Details of sanctioned working women’s hostels in Andhra Pradesh is at Annexure B.

(c) The beneficiaries under the scheme are working women who may be single, widowed, divorced, separated, married but whose husband or immediate family does not reside in the same city/area. Particular preference is given to women from disadvantaged sections of the society. The Scheme guidelines also provide for reservation of seats for physically challenged beneficiaries.

(d) It is the responsibility of the Implementing Agencies to create awareness about the facility among working women. However, the guidelines of the Scheme and list of sanctioned hostels are available on the Ministry’s website.

(e) As per the norms of the Scheme, financial assistance is provided to the eligible implementing organizations such as State Government agencies and Civil Society Organizations through concerned State Government. The cost sharing ratio amongst the Central Government, States/ UTs (other than NE and Himalayan States) and Implementing Agencies is 60:15:25 for construction of building for Working Women Hostel/ running hostel in rented premises. For NE and Himalayan States, the ratio is 65:10:25. Corporate houses or associations like CII, ASSOCHAM, FICCI etc., can also seek financial assistance for a matching grant (50:50) for hostel building construction on public land only.

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