PESHAWAR, Jan 26: The crisis centre established more than a year ago to provide shelter and security to destitute women is facing shortage of women staff and other facilities.

“The centre has neither a woman resident warden nor a legal advisor. A counsellor, a religious teacher and a psychotherapist area also required,” said an official.

A visit to the centre revealed that there was only one woman manager and the rest of the staff comprised men.

The social welfare and women development department has been running the centre, established in October 2004 in a house in Hayatabad township. Its former manager had resigned after two inmates ran away from it and after their recovery accused two of its staffers of immoral acts.

An inquiry committee termed the accusations baseless but suggested that all the men serving at the centre should be replaced by women. The centre was later shifted to Sikanderpura.

It is without a warden and only watchmen remain to guard it after the manager leaves in the evening.

About 10 women, including two with their children, are currently lodged at the centre.

“The centre has rehabilitated 23 women out of 42 admitted there since its establishment,” said an official.

It needed a legal advisor, a resident warden, an assistant warden, a religious teacher and a nurse, said the official, adding that the cook should also be replaced by a woman.

Tahira Ali, manager of artificial limbs project at Khyber Teaching Hospital, has been given additional charge of manager of the centre. She has to perform multifarious functions because of shortage of staff the centre, which is without transport and telephone facilities.

Electricity supply to the centre was cut two days ago for non-payment of bills.

The Centre for the Rights of Women and Children run by the social welfare department provided legal aid to those who need it, said Social Welfare Director Fakhrul Islam, when contacted.

An inmate of the crises centre, who is fighting a legal battle with her husband for separation, said she was not being provided any legal aid.

“I am not happy here but I have nowhere else to go,” said an Iranian girl who has been living at the centre for almost a month.