MP Govt to consider providing powers of Crime Court to MPSCW

Bhopal, July 30 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Woman and Child Development Minister Kusum Mehdele today said granting powers of the Crime Court to State Commission for Women (MPSCW) would be considered in order to empower it.

Replying to a debate on MPSCW's annual report for 2002-03 and 2003-04, Ms Mehdele said the Commission already enjoyed the powers of the Civil Court.

She said the government had launched various schemes such as 'Ladli Lakshmi', 'Mukhyamantri Kanyadan' and 'Kanya Shiksha' schemes for social and intellectual upliftment of women.

Ms Mehdele pointed out that a 'gender-based' budget was presented for the first time in the state under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's leadership.

Besides, a 'Mahila' panchayat was organised and policies chalked out for upliftment of women. Implementation of these schemes had begun.

The Minister informed that women police stations had been established in nine districts for controlling crimes against women.

Besides, honorarium of Anganbadi workers had also been raised.

In order to empower women financially, 'Nari Shakti Yojna' has been launched with the help of the Woman Finance Commission in six districts. Besides, Rani Durgawati Battalion has been constituted and a helpline has been started for empowering women.

She said awareness camps had been organised at various places by the MPSCW to provide information about problems of women.

Referring to gender ration in the state, the state government had enacted stringent laws to deal with feticide. She asked people's representative to launch awareness campaigns against feticide.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Jamuna Devi alleged that traditional rituals were being broken under the 'Samuhik Kanyadan Yojna'.

Commenting upon increasing atrocities against women in the state, she said malnutritioned girl children did not get adequate attention due dearth of female doctors and nurses in rural areas.

She suggested that women from all sections should be included in the MPSCW to make it more effective and a separate directorate be constituted for resolving problems of women.

Mr Indrajeet Kumar, Mr Rajnarayan Singh and Mr Satyadeo Katare (all Cong), Ms Saroj Bachchan (JD-U), Ms Sudha Jain and Ms Lal Singh Arya (both BJP) and several other members took part in the debate.

UNI