After appointed as the Chairman of the Mahila Commission what are the agendas you have planned? 

The Mahila Commission is a statuary body. Its main function is to help the destitute women in the society. For the present year, we have made an agenda to visit every district of Orissa to provide right, justice to every deprived woman. The government has sanctioned Rupees five lakh for DNA test, which we are yet to receive. This year I have written to the government for early provision of said money. The DNA test will help us to identify the convict of unwed mother. The most important agenda is to start compulsory registration of marriages from this year.

In your opinion, what are the major reasons for growing atrocities against woman?

Illiteracy, poverty and unemployment are most important factors for inequality and deprivation of rights. Most of the people are illiterate because of poverty. Due to poverty the poor father is not able to give dowry. Again dowry is another most important problem in this state. Secondly the unwed mothers’ problem is also add to the cause.

What steps has been taken by Mahila Commission to change policies to empower women?

We are not the authority to change the policies. It’s the government who makes the policy. We only give written suggestions to government for changing policies and implementing them. But, the Govt. has not accepted any of our proposals. There are number of programs and policies pending with the Govt. But there is no practical implementation. The empowerment of women will increase with implementation of those policies.

For generating more revenue, the Govt. has planned to open more liquor shops in the state. But the Mahila Commission has opposed to this proposal and had taken out rallies. Why it opposed to the proposal?

The Govt. can generate more revenues in different ways. Selling liquor is not the only source to generate revenue. So the Commission took out rallies to ban the liquor shops everywhere in the state. We feel that the ban of liquor shop will result in decrease in drinking habits of people. For example, when a husband earns Rs 50/- per day and drinks liquor of Rs 40/-, from where he will feed his family. Again the husband will come late in night and beat the wife. So our main motto is to empower the women for peaceful living.

Dowry-deaths are increasing more day by day, what step Mahila Commission has taken to solve this problem?

This is not the duty of Mahila Commission only; it is also the duty of parents of bride and groom, leaders of political parties, NGOs and the intellectuals of the society. The Commission is only creating awareness among the people.