Bhubaneswar: Amid growing concern over crimes against women in Odisha, the Biju Mahila Janata Dal on Saturday staged an hour-long silent dharna in front of the office of Odisha State Commission for Women (OSWC) in Bhubaneswar over delay in appointment of a chairperson to the statutory body.
The post has been lying vacant since removal of the then OSCW chairperson Minati Behera in November last year due to unsatisfactory performance. “When a woman faces any kind of atrocity, the first place she turns to for justice is the women’s commission. However, it is deeply disappointing and regretful that these key positions — both for the Women’s Commission and the Child Protection Commission — have not been appointed to date,” the women’s wing of the BJD said in a release.
The BJD leaders have threatened to lock the commission office and intensify their protest if the posts are not filled up immediately. “The failure to appoint chairpersons to these commissions is resulting in many women and children across the state being deprived of justice after facing various forms of abuse and atrocities,” it added.