Government not utilising Rs.2,000 crore Nirbhaya Fund, SC told

The Supreme Court was told Friday that the government was sitting on Rs.2,000 crore earmarked under the Nirbhaya Fund - meant to be spent for ensuring the safety and dignity of women - that was created after the December 16 Delhi gang-rape.

The social justice bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was told that so far the government has sanctioned only one scheme of Rs.150 crore and another scheme of Rs.200 crore has yet to emerge from the gover nment files.

"You are right," observed Justice Lokur as senior counsel Indira Jaisinh told the court that: "In this country money is not an issue but the issue is how it is spent. The way it is spent."

"Country wants to know what has happened to these Rs.2000 crore. It has to be utilised. It is for the women," said Jaisinh who appeared for one of the petitioners before the court that was hearing a batch of petitions relating to women safety reasons security.

She told the court that the issues in six petition before it were overlapping and some of them stands addressed in the wake of the 2013 amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure, different statutes and administrative actions.

Appointing Jaisinh as amicus curiae, the court asked her to prepare a chart indicating the various issues in six petitions and the status of each one of them.

The court designated secretary, women and child development as nodal officer who would coordinate with six other ministries including the union home ministry to address the issues before the court.

The court directed the next hearing of the matter on July 10.