BHOPAL: The chairperson of the State Women’s Commission Lata Wankhede completed one year in office on Friday.
To mark the occasion, a grand celebration was mounted at the office of the commission, even as the complainants waited for their turn outside.
Inside the office, Wankhede, donning a tri-colour headgear with a sword in hands, was profusely garlanded by her admirers. A team of trumpeters and drummers added to the celebratory mood.
The complainants refused to talk only saying that they were waiting since the morning. One of them told the press that she had come to the office for the third time but the accused did not come for the hearing because of which the hearing in her case was being adjourned again and again.
When asked, Lata Wankhede said that the defendant also has the right to present his case and when the bench summons someone, they do come for the hearing. When about the spike in crimes against women, she said that the rise in numbers only show that women are well informed and aware of their rights.
Talking to the media, Wankhede reeled out figures to prove how well the commission had done in the last one year. She informed that when she had taken office, 7000 cases were pending. “We have taken up 6018 cases in one year. A total of 2900 cases have been disposed of by the bench and in 450 cases we have given immediate judgments. We have sought reports in 1510 cases and for 1600 cases we are waiting for investigation reports.
We are also forming three committees. Divya samiti for workplace and hostel complaints, Karuna for all the women and Mukti samiti for the Bedia tribes of Mandsaur, Neemuch and Ratlam who are exploited in the name of tradition”, she said.
