Karnataka high court intervenes in row over appointment of women officers

The Karnataka high court on Monday directed the state government to place before it, the study report, with regard to the appointment of women protection officers under protection of women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, in two months time.

“Place before us the study report by the next date of hearing,” the division bench headed by chief justice JS Khehar, told a government advocate.

“Human resources development is a very important issue concerning the progress of the country. Without officers to implement, what is the purpose of an enactment? Once there is a legislation, there is need for officers,” the court observed, while hearing a PIL filed by city resident, Veena Rai. She claimed that no women protection officers have been appointed as per the act.

The move by the state government to entrust that responsibility to child development officers would be counter-productive, she contended.

Sheela Ramanathan, counsel for the petitioner, submitted, “Between April 2009 and March 2010, there were 4,630 applications filed under the DV Act. Out of them, 1,898 cases are still pending. We don’t know what happened to the remaining 2,732 cases. The government has sanctioned Rs7 crore for this. But, instead of appointing women officers, they have entrusted the responsibility to child development officers, who are already burdened.”