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Posts of chairperson, panel members at Bihar State Women Commission still vacant after a year

Oct 23, 2021 03:55 PM IST

The three-year term of the state women Commission chairperson and panel members got over on October 31, 2020.

It’s now almost a year since the term of the entire panel of the Bihar State Women Commission expired, but these posts have remained vacant.

 (HT Photo)
(HT Photo)

The women commission keeps receiving cases related to domestic violence, physical abuse and exploitation, there’s no trial in any case in absence of the chairperson and the panel members. It has been learnt that over 20,000 cases related to the crimes against women are pending at the women commission.

The three-year term of the state women Commission chairperson and panel members got over on October 31, 2020.

“We just receive the cases sent by the posts. Though in many cases women turn up to the office to personally lodge complaints, we suggest they try women helpline. But the cases received through posts are added in the entry register,” Anju, an official who looks after administration at the State Women Commission, said.

But for redressal and relief, victims will have to wait as a trial cannot be held in absence of a chairperson and the panel members, she added.

Another official, who did not want to be quoted, said, though the women commission has no chairperson and panel members, incidents of crime against women have failed to stop.

“We keep receiving cases by posts. Every day there are almost four-five such posts at the office. Not just that, many complaints are also made through the digital medium. In fact, in 2019, the state commission had started its website and encouraged women to lodge complaints online if they find it inconvenient to visit the commission office personally. The digital medium has been convenient for those who cannot go out to post complaints,” she said.

The response to the digital medium too has been very good. But at present, there is no chance of their disposal, she added.

“There must be over 22,000 cases which have remained pending because of the absence of chairperson and panel members at the Women Commission,” an official said.

Shashi Yadav, the state secretary of the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA), said the women commission has been reduced to be a receiving centre of cases sent by post.

“It had once made historic decisions in some profile cases. Victims of domestic violence and physical abuse look up to it for justice and relief, but it has remained defunct for the last year. Imagine the condition of the victim who has been waiting for redressal and relief in her case since November 2020,” she said. The women commission must be revived and made functional, she added.

Rajkumar, the social welfare department director said the department had started working to fill these posts at the beginning of the year and by June this year it had received nearly 200 entries for various posts. “But at present, the issue is not under focus,” he said.

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