Thaindian News

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 13 (IANS) The Kerala Women’s Commission Tuesday refuted the claims that it is toothless and pointed out that it has settled 4,249 cases out of the 6,494 registered this fiscal.

The commission’s chairperson Justice (retd) D. Sreedevi said that despite serious shortcomings of not having adequate staff, it has been able to do a good job.

“In the last fiscal, we received 6,709 cases from various parts of the state. We settled 5,996 complaints. In 2009-10, all but five of the 6,671, and during 2007-08, all but two of the 5,349 cases received have been resolved,” Sreedevi said.

She rebutted a media report that the Kerala Women’s Commission does not have any teeth and has not been doing what it is supposed to do.

“At the national level, the performance of the commission was lauded and we have been ranked as the best performing state,” the chairperson said.

Among the pioneering work done by it, the Kerala Women’s Commission said it conducted DNA tests on the unwed tribal mothers in Wayanad district.

“We have been doing this since 1997. So far, we have done 31 such tests and cases have been filed,” Sreedevi said.

Yet another major initiative the commission launched last month was the instant SMS facility for women to get in touch with it at any time for help.

“Fifty-two women approached us through SMS and we acted instantly,” the chairperson said.

The commission has asked the state government to ensure that Jaagratha Samithis — vigilance committees that act as quasi-judicial mechanism from the panchayat ward level to protect the rights of women and girl children — are set up in each local body besides forming a district-level monitoring committee.