Vishwajit Rane mulls amending law to bolster women’s rights

PANAJI: Minister for women and child development Vishwajit Rane on Saturday said the state’s women’s commission had been “rotting” for the past 20 years and that he was struggling to revive it. He said he would try to introduce amendments to the act governing Goa women’s commission on the lines of the legislation in Rajasthan which has penal powers and is one of the toughest in the country during the ongoing monsoon assembly session itself.
Rane further said he was in talks with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, to provide help to victims of child abuse in a more professional manner.
“The state women’s commission is a dead body and needs to be turned around. We need to change its thinking pattern. Many officers are objecting to the amendments I have proposed,” said Rane while addressing a workshop titled, ‘Empowering Women Journalists’, organised by the Goa Union of Journalists.
The minister said he seeks to appoint trained counsellors at the commission and make the body professional in its functioning.
“Today, many issues related to women are brushed under the carpet. Sometimes, people keep quiet out of fear of losing their jobs, and quietly adjust to the situation. There are a lot of issues in the state today that need to be addressed gradually. There are directors posted at the commission who fail to turn up. We have one such director at present. I told one government officialthat I want to amend the act, and he asked me ‘in what direction are you taking it’,” Rane said.
The minister said he has already discussed the plans to revive the commission with chief minister Pramod Sawant, who has agreed to it. Rane also said he wants to engage 40 to 50 female students from educational institutes across Goa as well to infuse fresh ideas to revive the commission.
Rane said he believe that those appointed to serve in the commission should only be from Goa. Rane said the body needs the best of professionals in the country.