Delhi Commission for Women on Friday instituted the Nirbhaya Santosh Koli award, named after the AAP member and social activist who died in August 2013 following an accident.
The award will be given to women working in the field of social welfare at the grassroots level on the birth anniversary of the activist.
Santosh Koli was given the Aam Aadmi Party ticket to fight the polls from Seemapuri constituency in 2013. On June 30, 2013, Koli was riding to the party office with fellow party member Kuldeep when a car rammed into the two-wheeler near Pacific Mall in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad and sped away. She succumbed to her injuries on August 7.
“Santosh was an inspiration for all of us. She stood against the ration mafia in Delhi, and was attacked nine times for raising her voice. Whether it was the admission of underpriviledged kids under the EWS quota or helping people file an FIR, she was always standing with people. She was the one who led the protests in the Nirbhaya case,” DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal said.
“So, we will award women like her for their dedication to the social causes in February on Santosh Koli’s birth anniversary and will invite proposals for the same,” she added.
The commission on Friday also wrote to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.