The J&K state commission for women continues to be headless for about ten months after its previous chairperson, Nayeema Mehjoor, stepped down following the fall of PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir in June 2018.
As per the official figures, over 200 cases are pending inthe commission for want of approval by the chairperson.
The commission was established in 1999 to protect women’srights.
“The commission is an important body for the protection ofrights of women. But the governor administration has taken no steps to appointits chairperson,” said an employee of the commission on condition of anonymity.
The governor administrationfilled up the post of State Information Commissioner that was lying vacant,besides appointing the chairperson and the vice-chairperson Jammu and KashmirMuslim Wakaf Board. “But it has shown no interest to appoint the chairpersonfor this vital body,” the official said.
The commission performs a number of functions includinginvestigating and examining the matters relating to the safeguards provided tothe women under the constitution and other laws; making recommendations to thegovernment on improving the condition of women; reviewing the existing statelaws affecting the women and making recommendations to the government for theiramendment, if any.
The commission also takes up the cases of violation ofwomen’s rights with the authorities concerned.
It may be mentioned that it is not for the first time thatthe commission has remained headless. In the past, too, this institution hasremained without chairperson for seven years till 2010.