More power to women in Bihar as 35% of all field posts go to them

PATNA: In yet another move to empower women, the Bihar government has decided to depute women officers on 35% of the field posts of sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), circle officer (CO), block development officer (BDOs) and the station house officer (SHOs) of police stations.
All these posts are considered very crucial in the lower rung of administration as these officers play the main role in maintaining law and order, solving day-to-day issues of public, upkeep of land records and execution of most of the development works at block and panchayat levels.
The state’s general administration department (GAD) letter sent to the additional chief secretary of revenue and land reforms department on Friday stated, “It was suggested during the review of progress of the different schemes being executed under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bihar Ke Saat Nischay-2’ that the administrative (cadre-controlling) departments concerned must take necessary action to ensure as far as possible the participation of 35% women in transfer and posting of the SDMs, BDOs, circle officers and the SHOs.”
GAD’s joint secretary Jai Shankar Prasad, in his letter, has also asked the revenue and land reforms department to send a report by June 22 stating the number of women officers working as circle officers. The department executes transfer and postings of the circle officers.
Sources said the GAD has sent a similar letter to DGP and rural development department, seeking a similar report on the number of women officers posted as SHOs and the BDOs, respectively. The transfer and posting of the SDMs are executed by the GAD itself.
“The GAD is collecting data because it has to send an integrated report on the number of women officers currently working as the SDMs, circle officers, BDOs and the SHOs, to the Bihar Vikas Mission. The development commissioner is to review the posting of women officers on July 1,” a GAD official told TOI on Saturday.
Sources in the GAD said CM Nitish Kumar, during a recent review of the schemes under ‘Atmanirbhar Bihar Ke Saat Nischay-2’ had asked the officials to ensure posting of women officers on 35% posts of field administration.
State information and public relations department (IPRD) minister Sanjay Kumar Jha told TOI that the move will obviously bring a sort of revolution in the state’s governance system. “It will bring a major transformation in favour of the women. It has always been a thrust of the state government, especially our leader Nitish Kumar, to empower women in all fields, be it education, health, administration or panchayati raj bodies. But the posting of women officers on 35% posts will not happen in a day or two. It will take some time,” he said.
Earlier, in January 2016, the then Mahagathbandhan government-led by Nitish had decided to reserve 35% posts for women in all state government jobs.
Recently, Nitish decided to reserve 33.3% seats for women in admission in all engineering and medical colleges as well as the first proposed sports university of the state.
Within months of taking oath as the CM in 2005, Nitish reserved 50% seats for women in the panchayat election in 2006. His move resulted in women capturing half of the 2.6 lakh elected posts in the state three-tier panchayati raj institutions.