In the latest development, the government of Odisha has asked Minati Behera to resign from the position of chairwoman of the State Commission for Women (SCW) after a performance review that did not seem to go well. This decision comes after the government issued a show-cause notice to Behera, requiring her to explain her actions and performance.
The Department of Women & Child Development said on Monday that after considering Behera's explanation for the notice, the government concluded that it did not provide a satisfactory account of her time in office. The notice dated October 28 had directed Behera to reply by November 1.
Behera has been informed in an official department’s notice that her response did not satisfactorily explain the poor functioning of the State Commission for Women under her leadership. "In terms of the provisions of Sub-section 3 of Section 4 of the Orissa State Commission for Women Act, 1993, the Chairperson was directed to furnish a reply on or before 4:00 PM of November 1, 2024. After a detailed analysis, it came to be known that her reply was weak and did not respond to the issues raised by the government," said the notification.
Consequently, the state government decided to remove Behera from her position by invoking the provisions of Section 4 (3) of the Orissa State Commission for Women Act, 1993, with immediate effect. “In view of the above circumstances, the State Government hereby orders removal of Smt. Minati Behera, Chairperson of OSCW, appointed under Notification No. 16810, dated 12.10.2022,” the notification read further substantiating the action in the interest of the public.
Behera was once charged for not leaving the office even after the state government had taken action against her. The concern, in this case, has been the control of Behera over the government’s Women and Child Development Department, with some concerns being raised over her handling of women’s issues and her reluctance to follow up with concerns raised in an appropriate period.
The issue has led to controversy, with some people even arguing about whether the measures taken are justifiably warranted and if it was a good idea to remove her at that time. However, it is obvious that the state wants, and probably very urgently, to install some wiser head to steer the SCW because of women’s safety and welfare issues increasingly becoming a problem.
It is anticipated that within the next few weeks, the Government of Odisha will appoint another chairperson in order to head the State Commission for Women and to facilitate effective and timely redress of women issues in the entire state.
