Renuka slams states for failing to check women and child abuse

Minister of state for women and child development Renuka Chowdhury has warned all the states to prevent the women and child abuse within three months or be ready to face reduction in funding. She was interacting to media in the capital after two-day conference with the state ministers, which concluded on January 29, 2008.

Slamming to states for not checking abuse of women and children, Renuka has given the three months period to stop domestic violence and women and child abuse and to implement ‘Domestic Violence Act, 2005’ strictly till March end otherwise be ready to bear Centre’s direct intervention.

According to ‘Domestic Violence 2005, it was mandatory for the states to employ dedicated and trustworthy ‘protection officers’ to check the violence and also to counsel victims legally if require necessary.

But Ministry has observed the deficiency of protection officers in all the states and got the complaints regarding not getting addition incentive despite of bearing double burden due to performing this duty. This leads the causes of losing interest of the officers in this area.

The concerned employing officers from all the states have also complained to the ministry to unable to steal time from the hectic job period due to lack of manpower.

Speaking about the money allocation, Renuka Chowdhary has said, “the money allocated for the child development scheme was not reaching its destination.” Even though she has forced to reach the allocated budget to the concerned authority as she says, “The money we give must go into projects directly. We cannot have this process of transferring funds to states for them to implement the projects.”

She has appeal to her cabinet colleagues to upgrade the Integrated Child Development Scheme to a ‘Mission Mode’ project, which will empower the central to weekly review the states’ performance over this issue. As per ministry’s direction, all the states might have imposed ‘Child Right Commission by end of 2007’ under National Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2006, but none has been set up yet.

Renuka has also informed the media that government will soon bring a legislation in the parliament against ‘sexual harassment and molestation of women at workplaces’ to protect them in the job and working area besides home.

Ministry has also a scheme to open crèche in the Parliament house complex for those women MPs who have little children and they cannot participate usually as their male colleagues due to child’s care.

The ministry is also working on a proposal to strengthen the Palna Ghar, Anganwadi,to empower more girl child and to check female foeticide and girl infanticide, as Renuka informed media.

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