To make marriage registration easier, the State Government has decided to hand over the marriage registration responsibility to the Panchayat Extension Officers (PEOs) at the gram panchayat level.
A decision to this effect was taken at the first meeting of the State Taskforce on women protection held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary AP Padhi at the State Secretariat here on Thursday.
Women and Child Development Secretary Vishal Dev presented details on action taken by the Government in this regard. He also informed about steps taken for protection of women in distress.
The Chief Secretary directed the officials to make women and child desks at police stations more effective. He directed to take stern action against use of portable ultrasound machine that detect the gender of the foetus.
Padhi too asked the concerned departments to ensure construction of toilets for women at the petrol pumps on the National Highways and State Highways, registration of women migrating to other States in search of jobs and safety at women and girls hostels.
According to officials, implementation of the Odisha State Girls and Women Policy with focus on health, nutrition, education, livelihood, property right, ownership on properties, women’s participation in taking decision, safety and security and requirement of handicapped women and girls was discussed at the meeting.
It also discussed the sex ratio issue with focus on reducing female infant mortality rate, increasing of girls hostels in junior colleges, setting up of Kasturva Gandhi girls school hostels in each block, relaxing two-baby concept for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) under the Mamata scheme and setting up hostels for working women.
Padhi directed the officials to set deadlines for execution of the decisions of the meeting.
Among others, Social Security and Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities Secretary Niten Chandra, labour and ESI Principal Secretary G Srinivas, Panchayati Raj Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Women and Child Development Director Rabindra Pratap Singh were present.