ASCW chairperson Angoorlata Deka Leads Biswas Jatra Rally in Kokrajhar

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: Angoorlata Deka, chairperson of the Assam State Commission for Women (ASCW), took part in a vibrant bike rally on Saturday as part of the ongoing Biswas Jatra. The rally, with the theme ‘Your Voice, Your Safety,’ was held under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative, aimed at strengthening public engagement and spreading awareness on women’s safety, dignity, and empowerment across districts.

As part of the Biswas Jatra campaign, a district-level meeting was held at the Conference Hall of the District Commissioner’s Office, Kokrajhar, by the ASCW in collaboration with the District Administration, Kokrajhar, and the Women & Child Development department, supported by SANKALP: Hub for Empowerment of Women. The meeting was addressed by ASCW Chairperson Angoorlata Deka, in the presence of Banti Talukdar, ADC, Nabanita Sharma, Additional SP, ASCW Member Himani Adhikari, Member Secretary Antara Gogoi, Assistant Commissioners, CDPOs, BDOs, and other concerned officials.

Speaking at the meeting, the ASCW Chairperson emphasized major challenges concerning women’s safety, such as limited access to legal assistance, gaps in coordination among institutions, and inadequate awareness of available protections. The discussions 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, as well as the establishment of District, Sub-Division and Block-level Women Cells, One Stop Centres, and Shakti Sadhan facilities. Emphasis was laid on grassroots sensitization through block-level and district-level jan sunwai (public hearings), ensuring that women’s issues are heard and addressed in a structured and accessible manner.

Later, a district-level awareness programme was held at Girl’s College, Narabari, Kokrajhar, drawing participation from CDPOs, Supervisors, AWW/AWH, Kishori Sevika Got, BDOs, ASRLM, Jivika Sakhi, Police, DLSA, NHÌ, College Students, and others. The Chairperson highlighted the importance of services like the ‘181’ Women Helpline number and the pivotal role played by field-level workers in identifying vulnerabilities, supporting survivors, and ensuring timely access to services.

Earlier in the day, the ASCW team, led by Chairperson Angoorlata Deka, visited the Kokrajhar district jail, where they interacted with women staff and women inmates, reviewing the availability and proper implementation of all legally-mandated support systems and facilities. They also visited the Sakhi-One Stop Centre of the district.

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