PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Uttarakhand State Commission for Women (USCW) chairwoman Kusum Kandwal said that they plan to organise block-wise public hearings in each district considering the success of recent women’s public hearings held across the State. The USCW had recently conducted public hearings in each district as part of the National Commission for Women’s campaign, “Mahila Aayog Aapke Dwar,” from March 9 to 13.
Kandwal informed that she personally attended the hearing programmes in five districts-Dehradun, Pauri, Haridwar, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar- while the vice-chairwoman and other commission members were present in the remaining districts to facilitate the resolution of complaints. She averred that this initiative was highly effective and successful, particularly for women in remote areas who were previously unaware of the USCW and those who found it difficult to visit the commission office in Dehradun. The public hearings provided an accessible platform for these women to approach the USCW.
During these hearings, women presented various issues, including disputes between husbands and wives, family property disputes and other concerns. Some complaints were resolved on the spot, while others were referred to the commission for further attention, she said. Kandwal said that, due to the success of these public hearings, the commission plans to organise similar events in the future and wants to extend the initiative to block-wise in each district.
Additionally, she highlighted that representatives from relevant departments attended the public hearings, where she asked for updates on women’s welfare schemes related to their departments. Kandwal observed that the majority of complaints raised during the hearings were related to marital disputes.
Kandwal has also encouraged women to report any incidents or problems by calling the toll-free number 112. She also advised downloading the Gaura Shakti app and reaching out to the commission’s phone number for further assistance.
