- 140 full-time Protection Officers (POs) to be appointed to support Women in Bihar
- Social Welfare Department to create a Separate Cadre for these Officers
The Bihar government is to appoint 140 full-time protection officers (POs) to support women affected by domestic violence in the state. The Social Welfare Department will create a separate cadre for these officers, with 101 at the sub-division level, 38 at the district level, and one at the state level, to ensure effective protection of women's rights. The decision is in response to the rising number of domestic violence cases in the state.
In response to the decision taken as per the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, Additional Chief Secretary of the Department and Chairman-cum-MD of Bihar Women and Child Development Corporation noted, "The department has decided to appoint full-time POs to effectively deal with the cases of domestic violence. The process will start soon. A separate cadre will be created for the purpose and more than 140 POs will be appointed across the state." She added, "Of them, 101 will be appointed at the subdivision level and 38 at the district level."
The Chief Secretary added, "The officer will also be responsible for getting the woman medically examined, if she has sustained injuries, and forward a copy of the report to the police station and magistrate concerned."
The PO will assist magistrates and medically examine aggrieved persons in cases of domestic violence. They will ensure monetary relief orders are executed according to the Domestic Violence Act, of 2005. The state government has implemented the Dowry Prohibition Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 to provide justice and services to women facing domestic violence.
The Bihar government is further planning to open 11 additional 'one-stop centers' (OSCs) in certain districts to better support women affected by violence. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (Sambal Division) received the approval letter. Currently, there are 39 OSCs in 38 districts, with Patna having two.
