Srinagar: National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Tuesday said the commission has sought approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs to open NCW offices in Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Rahatkar said the proposal has recently been sent to the MHA and the commission is awaiting the necessary approval.
“We recently sent a proposal to the ministry to open commission offices in the UTs. We are waiting for the necessary approval and permission in this regard,” she said.
Responding to queries regarding the establishment of a women’s commission in Jammu and Kashmir, Rahatkar said that under the present setup, there will not be a separate state women’s commission in the Union Territory and all such matters would continue to be handled by the NCW.
“You are right in saying that a women’s commission here would be a great help, but all UTs come under the NCW,” she said, assuring women in Jammu and Kashmir that the commission would continue visiting the region to address grievances.
The NCW chairperson has been in Srinagar for the past four days as part of the commission’s outreach programme “Rashtriya Mahila Aayog AapkeDwar”.
On Tuesday, Rahatkar presided over a Mahila Jan Sunwai at the Banquet Hall Conference Complex in Srinagar, where the commission heard 14 registered complaints along with several walk-in cases related to women’s grievances.
Senior officers from the district administration and police, including Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo and SSP Srinagar Dr G V Sundeep Chakravarthy, were present during the proceedings.
Rahatkar stressed the importance of One Stop Centres in addressing crimes against women and called for a more sensitive and responsive approach by the police while handling such cases.
During her visit, Rahatkar, along with chairpersons of various State Women Commissions, also called on Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Lok Bhavan.
The Lieutenant Governor appreciated the efforts of the NCW in strengthening women empowerment and justice delivery mechanisms across the country. The meeting discussed issues related to women’s welfare, safety and increasing women’s participation in developmental sectors.
Asked about the Morbi sexual exploitation case in Gujarat, Rahatkar said the NCW has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and is treating the incident with utmost seriousness.
