National Commission for Women (NCW)Chairperson Mamata Sharma on Thursday lashed out at the Naveen Patnaik Government terming it insensitive towards women against whom the incidence of atrocities is rising alarmingly in the State.
She alleged that the State Government has not responded to many of the Commission’s recommendations and letters seeking action taken reports. Sharma said she will personally write to Naveen in this regard.
Odisha is now among the top three States when it comes to atrocities against women. The incidence of rape has jumped two-fold in last two to three years which is an indicator of the Government’s ineffective handling of the situation, Sharma charged. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha are among the top three States as per National Crime Records Bureau statistics, she said.
Citing an instance, Sharma said the NCW had written to the State over the death of Madhabilata Pradhan but the Government did not respond. In the recent gangrape and murder of a girl in Puri too, the Government did precious little, the NCW chief said.
Sharma refuted the charges that she only targets non-Congress governments. “I go to Congress-ruled States too and give the commission’s recommendations. Sensitive governments respond to the NCW’s suggestions and recommendations but insensitive ones do not,” she told mediapersons here.
She said there has been no improvement in the situation in atrocities against women in the State. “Every time, I visit Odisha, I get the feeling that things have not improved.” Sharma also panned the State Commission for Women accusing it of not doing enough for the cause of women. The state panels are autonomous in nature and the NCW writes to them periodically but it is up to them to take up the cases.
The NCW head was in Puri where the commission has opened a stall to raise awareness about their rights and redressal system.