ASCW Chairperson Angoorlata Deka leads 3rd phase of Biswas Jatra Rally in Darrang

OUR CORRESPONDENT

MANGALDAI: Chairperson of the Assam State Commission for Women (ASCW), Angoorlata Deka, on Monday led a bike rally in Darrang district as part of the third phase of the Biswash Jatra organized under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ initiative with the theme ‘Your Voice, Your Safety,’ aiming to strengthen public awareness on women’s safety, dignity, and empowerment.

As part of the Biswash Jatra, a district-level awareness meeting was held at the Conference Hall of the District Commissioner’s Office, Darrang, by the ASCW in collaboration with the Women & Child Development Department. The meeting was addressed by the ASCW Chairperson in the presence of District Commissioner Parag Kumar Kakaty, SSP Hemanta Kumar Das, ASCW Member Secretary Antara Gogoi, Mangaldai Municipal Board Chairperson Nirmali Devi Sarma, Assam Gaurav Awardee Meenakshi Das, along with senior officials and representatives of various departments.

Addressing the meeting, Chairperson Angoorlata Deka stated that bike rallies were being used as an effective mass outreach tool to promote the objectives of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign. She highlighted key challenges related to women’s safety, including limited access to legal assistance, gaps in inter-institutional coordination, and lack of awareness about available support mechanisms. She emphasised the need to strengthen women cells at all administrative levels.

Discussions during the meeting focused on strengthening institutional mechanisms for women’s protection, including the formation and effective functioning of Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) and Local Complaints Committees (LCC) in government offices. Emphasis was also laid on enhancing the reach and effectiveness of District, Sub-Division and Block-level Women Cells, One Stop Centres, and Shakti Sadhan facilities to ensure timely redressal of women’s grievances.

Later in the day, a district-level awareness programme was organized at Sainik Bhawan, Mangaldai, with participation from CDPOs, Supervisors, ASHA, and Anganwadi Workers, Kishori Sevika GOT, Gaon Pradhans, college students, and other stakeholders. During the programme, the Chairperson highlighted the importance of the 181 Women Toll-Free Helpline in providing immediate assistance to women in distress. She also informed that complaints related to women’s rights, safety or harassment may be sent via WhatsApp to 94351 96263, assuring confidentiality of identity and information.

Earlier, the ASCW team led by Chairperson Angoorlata Deka visited the Mangaldai district jail and the ‘Sakhi’ One Stop Centre to review the implementation of mandated support systems and services for women.

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