Spurt In Violence Against Women In Odisha Disturbing: Sushmita Dev

Bhubaneswar: President of All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) Sushmita Dev on Friday said that rising incidents of violence against women in Odisha is a matter of grave concern.

Talking to mediapersons after presiding over the executive meeting of the Odisha Pradesh Mahila Congress at the Congress Bhawan here, she came down heavily on the gross apathy of the state government towards women.

“In the last 15 years, there is no rise in the income level of women in the state. The state government has not taken any steps to provide opportunity to the girl children, especially in the rural areas, to pursue higher education as a majority of the girl children in the rural areas have left their education at high school level. Apart from this, the rate of women trafficking in tribal areas of the state has gone up alarmingly. Taking all these into consideration, the Pradesh Mahila Congress will gherao the State Assembly during the budget session,” the AIMC president said.

Replying to the efforts of the Chief Minister who has sought support from the political parties to put forth a bill in Parliament for 33 per cent seat reservation for women in the Parliament and the State Assemblies, she said: “Before seeking support from the political parties, let the Chief Minister have a look at his ministry and the number of women he has inducted and the number of women representing the State Assembly.”

Pradesh Mahila Congress president Sumitra Jena said since the Congress has taken the Pipili gang rape and murder case very seriously, the Mahila Congress will submit a memorandum to this effect to the Governor soon.

She said that issues like anti-prohibition, seat reservation for women and the security of women in Odisha were discussed at the executive meeting. “We have decided to stage a statewide demonstration against the atrocities on women,” she pointed out.