PRAYAGRAJ, July 23 -- The women in rural areas of Prayagraj will soon have faster access to legal, medical, and psychological assistance with the launch of two new one-stop centres (OSCs) under the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development's "Sakhi" scheme. District officials confirmed that these centres will be set up in Phulpur (trans-Ganga) and Meja (trans-Yamuna) areas, expanding a support system that was earlier limited to urban regions. According to the 2011 census, over 21.4 lakh women reside in rural parts of Prayagraj, spread across the Ganga and Yamuna belts. Officials said the new centres aim to cater to this sizable population by offering integrated and immediate support to women experiencing violence or distress. Each One-Stop centre will be constructed near the respective tehsil headquarters on a 150-square-yard plot. District probation officer (DPO) Sarvjeet Singh said a budget of Rs.60 lakh has been allocated for each centre , and the funds have already been released. Each centre will be staffed with 13 personnel, including a centre administrator, psychosocial counselor, para-legal officer, paramedical staff, and an office assistant. Additionally, there will be three multi-purpose staff members (including a cook) and three security guards. To ensure 24/7 service, night-shift staff will also be appointed. DPO Singh stated that each centre is expected to incur an annual operational cost of Rs.34.19 lakh, in addition to Rs.4.65 lakh per year for structural maintenance, furnishings, and interior decor. Each OSC will offer women access to legal aid, police assistance, medical care, counseling, and short-term shelter for up to five days. The expansion in Prayagraj is part of a larger effort to strengthen the Sakhi OSC network across Uttar Pradesh. Officials said that 79 centres are currently operational across the state's 75 districts, having provided support to over 2.1 lakh women and girls so far. Seventeen additional centres are now being established in 13 districts-including Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Gorakhpur-with a strong emphasis on reaching rural populations. Launched in April 2015, the Sakhi One-Stop centre scheme is a nationwide initiative by the Government of India to support women facing violence in both public and private spaces. It provides a range of integrated services-including medical care, legal aid, psychological counseling, and temporary shelter-under one roof, accessible to women of all ages, backgrounds, classes, castes, and marital statuses....