JAGATSINGHPUR: Days after the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) launched a state-wide campaign to reach out to children post pandemic, a team of the district child welfare committee (CWC) has detected anomalies in functioning of Mahila and Sishu desks at police stations in Jagatsinghpur district.
Visiting Balikuda and Naugaon blocks on Friday, the CWC team led by chairperson Bisesweri Mohanty found that the dedicated help desks for women and children at the police stations are not operational.
The district has 13 police stations and the government has mandated Mahila and Sishu desk in all 537 police stations across the State to facilitate an integrated approach towards crimes against women and children. Each police station should have the help desk where a lady officer is on duty round the clock.
In Naugaon police station, the Mahila and Sishu helpdesk has no lady police officer and three victims are awaiting compensation under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Likewise at Balikuda police station, there was no police personnel except for a home guard on the team’s arrival. Even the diary charge officer (DCO) was absent.
While there was a helpdesk for women and children, it was being managed by a male assistant sub inspector (ASI) as the female police officer in-charge was on maternity leave. But the ASI too was absent as he had been given additional charge of another police outpost, said sources. Mohanty said the team has scheduled visit to all the police stations to evaluate functioning of Mahila and Sishu desks under Sishu Sampark Yatra campaign.
“SP Prakash R and other officials were informed about our visit. We have sent a letter to the SP regarding irregularities in the functioning of the Mahila Sishu desks and urged to activate those. Other police stations will be reviewed on January 27 and February 3,” she added. Meanwhile, Jagatsinghpur SDPO Priya Ranjan Satpathy admitted that there is no lady police officer in Naugaon police station and steps are being taken to deploy one at the earliest. As regards Balikuda police station, the IIC was on leave when the CWC team arrived, the SDPO said.