THE Bihar Government has decided to appoint 140 full-time ‘protection officers’ across the State to support women affected by domestic violence more effectively. TheSocialWelfareDepartment has decided to create a separate cadreunderwhichsub-division, districtandState-levelprotection officers will be appointed. The decision has been taken in view of the rising number of domestic violence cases in the State. Speaking to PTI, Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, additional chief secretary of the Social Welfare Department and chairman cum MD of Bihar Women and Child DevelopmentCorporation,said, “The departmenthas decided to appoint full-time POs to effectively deal with cases of domestic violence.” “The process will start soon.

 

A separate cadre will be created for the purpose... More than 140 POs will be appointed across the State. Of them, 101 will be appointed at the sub-division level and 38 at the district level. A State-level PO will also be appointed,” she added. The decision has been taken as per the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, she said. “The move aims to provide more effective protection of the rights of women, guaranteed under the Constitution, to victims of violence of any kind occurring within the family and for matters connected there with or incidental thereto,” Bamhrah said. Asper theAct, thePOwillassist the magistrate in the discharge of his functions and the former will also be responsible to get the aggrieved person medically examined, if she has sustained bodily injuries and forward a copy of the medical report to the police station and the magistrate having jurisdiction in the areawhere thedomesticviolence is alleged to have been taken place, she said.

 

The PO will also ensure that the order for monetary relief under Section 20 of Domestic Violence Act, 2005 is complied with and executed, in accordance with the procedure prescribed under the existing law, she added. The State Government has already taken several steps to ensure justice for women facing domestic violence through the enactment ofthe Dowry Prohibition Act, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, among others, Bamhrah said, adding that different schemes also provide various kinds of services to women who face domestic violence.