Maharashtra: Women can soon report crimes at state divisional offices

The state commission for women will set up offices at the divisional level where complaints can be registered in an effort to speed up action in crimes against women across Maharashtra. Moreover, with the help of the respective police superintendent, immediate steps would be taken.

On Wednesday, February 10, the state issued a government resolution to the effect. As a result, this decision will be a great relief to the women who are victims of atrocities across the state. For this, the manpower currently available in the Women and Child Development Department will be assisted.

Currently, there is only one office in Mumbai which handles all such complaints and forwards instructions to the respective divisional office after submitting a review, which is a time-consuming process. The new system hopes to change that.

On average, the women’s commission receives over 10,000 complaints annually.

The state has six divisions —Pune, Konkan, Nashik, Aurangabad, Amravati and Nagpur. Women and child development minister Yashomati Thakur told TOI each division will have four members of the women’s commission who will handle such cases, which would ensure speedy justice.

The Divisional Deputy Commissioner of Women and Child Development has been directed to handle the work of these offices in coordination with the Member Secretary of the State Commission for Women. Expert counsellors will be consulted at the discretion of the woman, or assistance will be provided by the local police station, to expedite the resolution of the problems of the women who have brought problems within the purview of these divisional offices. The ruling also clarified that the departmental offices should take action on the advice of the state women's commission in cases of critical nature or in cases where the Commission takes cognizance of the matter.

During Thakur’s term as a member of the commission, she said that had realised that women in the interior parts of Maharashtra find it difficult to travel to Mumbai to register complaints.  This step would be helpful for these women to get justice.