NCW Chairperson Mamta Sharma undertook a two-day visit of Odisha on 22nd June, 2013. From the Bhubaneshwar airport, she drove straight to the Chilika region in Khurda district. Her first stop over was Sunakhela village, where she visited Sunakhela hospital to review facilities for women patients. She expressed dissatisfaction with the service given to them and urged the authorities to immediately improve the facilities. Later, she visited Gambharimunda in Banpur block of Chilika region. During her visit to the Public Health Centre, (PHC) she found there was not even a single doctor in the PHC, though thousands of women in the nearby-areas depended on it. She assured the gathered women that she would take up the matter with the authorities to make the PHC functional as soon as possible. 

Later, she left for Niladriprasad and Damia Barabara two large tribal pockets of Khurdha district. Addressing a meet at Niladriprasad, Ms. Sharma reiterated the commitment of NCW to reach out to tribal women living even in most inaccessible areas in order to empower them. 
She then visited the nearby villages to have a first-hand experience of their problems and get apprised of their living conditions. Ms. Sharma was shocked to find that tribal women of Niladriprasad were living in deplorable conditions and their houses were crumbling down without even bare thatched roof. She found that most of them have not received assistance from the government sponsored schemes meant for them. Ms. Sharma was aghast at the sight of women preparing their main course food from “mango kernels”. Neither BPL rice nor Annapurna Antodaya Yojana have reached them so far. Likewise, though 95 percent of the village women tested positive for malaria, there was not a single doctor in the PHC in the entire area. Ms. Sharma directed the local BDO and other officials to distribute the benefits of all government sponsored schemes to these women and file a compliance report with the Commission within one month. 

On 23rd June, Ms. Sharma inaugurated the “National Meet on Empowering Rural Women” at Tarapi near Balugaon, organized by Odisha Yuva Sanskritik Sansad (OYSS) in association with NCW and presided by the national head of ‘Honour for Women National Campaign and founder of OYSS Women’ Ms. Manasi Pradhan. 
Inaugurating the meet participated by over 5000 women delegates from different parts of the country, Ms. Sharma said that NCW was committed to bringing about a qualitative change in the life of the women of the country by making them empowered. The women delegates said that most of them were unaware of their own rights and different government schemes leading to impediment in their empowerment. At the end of the sessions, a draft proposal was drawn up taking into account various concerns and suggestions put forward by the delegates. 

The Chairperson meets the parents of the raped and murdered 14-year old blind girl 

The Chairperson visited village Beladal in Puri Sadar and met the parents of a 14-year-old blind and mute girl raped and murdered in Puri / Konark Marine Drive. While reviewing the progress of the investigation of the case and compensation to the victim’s parents, she found several discrepancies in the investigation and demanded suspension of the investigating officer for issuing two conflicting death certificates. She said an NCW enquiry team would soon be sent to investigate the incident in a professional manner suggesting remedial measures. 

Members’ visits 

Member Hemlata Kheria was the Guest of Honour in a programme on “Employment and Creative Fair”, organized by Alert Sansthan at Gogunda, Udaipur, Rajasthan, attended by tribal men and women. During the interactive session, Ms. Kheria defined the basic objectives of NCW and acquainted the participants with the main sections of the NCW Act related to protection and safeguarding the rights of women. 

Later, she visited Sunderpur and Matugawada Panchayat at Dungarpur as well as Bagidauda and Gahatol Panchayat at Banswara. Rajasthan and discussed with village women issues relating to child marriage, malnutrition, witchcraft, female feoticide, dowry, education for girls, availability of toilets, water, medical facility and crimes against women. Hearing about non-availability of teachers, she recommended that schools should be provided with teachers at the earliest by the state government. 

Jail Visit 

NCW Member Hemlata Kheria visited the district jail at Banswara and met the female inmates. She recommended that a legal counselor be appointed to provide legal aid as well as counseling for women prisoners by an NGO and along with vocational training.

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