Bihar State Women’s Commission. Telegraph picture

Patna, Jan. 16: For women in the state, justice is difficult to come by these days. Bihar State Women’s Commission has been dysfunctional since November 3 last year with its members completing their three-year term.

Though 61 cases have been lodged with the commission since November 3, neither are being heard. The complainants are not going to the commission, as they are aware that it has been dissolved.

More than 1,600 cases filed by the commission are also pending in the court, said a source.

The social welfare department is responsible for allotting funds to the commission.

The post of the chairperson has also been vacant many times over the past few years, the source added.

Former chairperson Kahkashan Parween resigned last year to contest the Assembly polls. Preceeding her, the post had remained vacant for months when Lessy Singh had resigned as the chairperson. Other members, Saira Bano and Malti Gupta, too resigned to fight the elections, added the source.

Before being dissolved, the other members of the commission were Vandana Narayan, Anju Rani, Preeti and Rajkumari Sada.

Now, the commission is left with only deputy secretary Anima Sinha, who comes to the commission everyday at around 10.30am and leaves by 5pm. Officer-in-charge Vinita and two other persons are still there. “We keep doing the official work like sending mails,” said Sinha.

Singh also said: “The code of conduct, imposed because of the Assembly polls, affected the camps that were supposed to be held in different places. The resignation of the members also created pressure on the commission.”

“Even though the chairperson was not there, we continued to hear and resolve cases,” said Sinha.

Parween had disposed cases very fast and had also organised a few camps during her short stint in office, said Sinha. Sinha added she was hopeful the women’s commission would be reformed by January.