4 minutes of readingUpdated: February 3, 2026 01:12 pm IST
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement to set up women’s shelters in all districts of the country has drawn praise from a cross-section of citizens and even political parties. However, citizens emphasized that shelters should have adequate capacity and that women’s safety should be the top priority.
While presenting the Union budget On Sunday, Sitharaman said, “A girls’ hostel will be built in every district of the country. The proposed hostels would provide safe and affordable accommodation and help improve enrollment and retention in advanced scientific fields.”
Welcoming the move, AAP spokesperson Mukund Kirdat said, “The announcement of setting up hostels in every district is encouraging. But it is easier said than done. There are 700 districts in the country and the government has not announced any timeline or deadline for setting up the hostels.”
Kirdat said these shelters, if created, would benefit women and girls coming from outside the districts. “For example, in Pune There are several women and girls who come to study or work from nearby districts. For them, these government shelters would be of immense benefit. Otherwise, they will have to continue looking for private accommodation, which is not safe and is also expensive,” he said.
“A deadline must be established for the installation of shelters”
Seema Sawale, former chairperson of the PCMC standing committee, said: “The move is good, provided the government keeps its word and sets a deadline within which the shelters would be built. Apart from the shelters, it is important that safety measures for women and girls are also announced. The budget has failed to deliver on this point.”
Amika Limbu, a resident of the northeast, said, “Whenever we are in Pune, it is not easy for us, especially women, to get accommodation. We face a lot of problems in getting private accommodation. Government hostels would be in our interest. But at the same time, I am writing to the Union Finance Ministry to set up exclusive police stations for northeastern citizens in every district of the country. This will make our lives comfortable and safe.”
SK Souriio Hitler, another resident of the northeast, said, “The decision to set up girls’ hostels in all districts of the country is welcome. It will make marginalized women feel a little comfortable knowing that there is government accommodation available for them. At the same time, it would be better if the budget had announced safety measures for women in all districts of the country.”
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Manjusha Kochar, a women’s activist, said: “While I welcome the Finance Minister’s initiative, she has not announced how much intake capacity there will be in the proposed hostels. If a hostel is to be built, then the question arises how they will cope with the huge demand. I think such hostels are really going to face the problem of accommodating a large number of applicants.”
Newly elected PMC corporator Aishwarya Pathare said, “The budget takes a 360-degree holistic approach. It is anchored on Viksit Bharat. It has initiatives aimed at women, including setting up hostels in every district and others for self-help groups. We are confident that it will deliver on its objectives.” BJP MP Medha Kulkarni said, “Various sectors have received special attention in the budget along with initiatives for women’s development and safety. The announcement of women’s hostels in every district is very welcome.”