This is astonishing, but during the last six years after the inception of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005 in 2006, orders have been issued only in 10 per cent of the cases in the State. The remaining 90 per cent cases are still pending to be redressed by the concerned authorities, stated women activists during a Press meet held by FAAR and CSRF here on Saturday.
Women activists Pramila Swain, Tapasi Praharaj, Subhashree Dash, Sneha Mishra, lalita Mishal, Manjuprabha Dhal and Sashiprabha Bindhani lamented that the PWDVA is not being implemented effectively as the authorities are not taking appropriate action. Irony is that only Rs 50,000 is being allocated to each district which is so meagre!
The activists presented a survey made in nine districts and informed that as many as 1,128 cases have been received under the PWDVA during last six years but only in 59 of cases orders have been issued. Police officers and judiciary are also not so serious in dealing with such cases, they alleged, adding that even the public prosecutors are ignoring such acts of violence.
As per the Act, there is provision to dispose of the cases within 60 days, but it takes more than 275 days on an average in the State, they rued.
They also expressed concern over the growing cases of violence against women while presenting the figures published in the White Paper of the State Government. As many as 526 dowry deaths have been reported.
More than 50 per cent of the reported cases are related to domestic violence; yet the State is not concerned enough to implement the Act seriously, they stated.