ELURU: The House Committee on Women's Development and Child Welfare on Thursday expressed its concern over the official apathy in dealing with complaints on harassment of women at workplace.

Speaking at a review meeting here, the committee chairperson V. Sunitha Lakshma Reddy expressed her anguish that the committee's recommendation for constitution of monitoring cells at mandal level exclusively to deal with complaints of atrocities on women had received lukewarm response from the Police department.

Same fate

Another recommendation with respect to establishing vigilance committees headed by women in all the departments to handle the complaints of harassment of women at workplace had also met with the same fate, she added.

Ms. Sunitha asked the Superintendent of Police M. Jaganmohan Reddy to ensure that at least two women constables were posted in every police station so that they would exclusively deal with gender issues such as rape, dowry harassment and eve-teasing. She pointed out that the police in the district were lagging behind in tackling cases of atrocities on women effectively.

Based on the data provided by the police, she said there were many cases which were not yet charge-sheeted by the investigating officers. For instance, she said, only 63 out of 101 rape cases reported in 2003 were charge-sheeted.

In 2005, 35 out of 54 rape cases were charge-sheeted, she added.

Driver posts

Ms Sunitha Reddy underlined the need for effective implementation of one thirds of reservation for women in driver posts. She requested authorities of the Transport Department to give training in driving to the women aspiring to become drivers. APSRTC and the other departments were also requested to give the women their due while recruiting for driver posts.

The visiting five-member committee regretted that Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy's fulfilment of his election-eve offer of arranging loans for the women Self-Help Groups with 25 paise interest was getting poor publicity, Ms Sunita said.

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