Maharashtra to expand women counselling centres to all talukas and raise pay
On Thursday, the functioning of women counselling centres across Maharashtra came under intense scrutiny in the Legislative Council in Mumbai. In response to concerns raised by members, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare announced plans to expand the counselling network to cover all talukas in the state and substantially increase the monthly honorariums for counsellors.
The discussion was initiated through a calling attention motion raised by MLC Madhavi Naik. Naik highlighted that the counselling centres, which operate from police stations and other locations, play a crucial role in addressing cases of domestic violence, abuse, and family disputes.
However, Naik pointed out that many of these centres are currently struggling to function effectively. The centres are facing severe challenges, including insufficient funds, delayed grants, inadequate facilities, and a shortage of manpower to handle the workload.
Currently, there are only 135 counselling centres functioning across the state of Maharashtra. Under the government's new expansion plan, the network will be extended to ensure that a counselling centre is available in every taluka, providing essential support services to women and children in distress.
The low pay of counsellors was a major point of discussion. Naik noted that counsellors currently receive a monthly honorarium of only Rs 12,000. This amount was last revised in 2014, when it was increased from Rs 8,000, despite the counsellors' responsibilities and workload growing significantly over the last decade.
To address this, Minister Tatkare informed the House that a proposal to substantially increase the honorarium of the counsellors has been prepared. This proposal will be submitted to the government for official approval.
Naik also mentioned that a proposal seeking a revision in the honorarium had been submitted to the women and child development department in June 2025, but a final decision is still pending.
