MAWKYRWAT: The Assembly Committee on Women Empowerment, on Thursday, visited Mawkyrwat in South West Khasi Hills to discuss the problems faced by women and children in the district.
During a meeting with the district administration at the multipurpose hall of DC’s Office, the Deputy Commissioner of South West Khasi Hills, Cara Kharkongor, briefed the gathering on the various aspects of women empowerment and related issues in the district.
The DC informed the Committee that the maternal mortality rate due to anaemia in the district is high while 58 per cent of people, enrolled with Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS), are women. Home visit in the district has almost covered 90 per cent, the DC added.
She also informed that awareness programme regarding POCSO Act, 2012, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Women Empowerment have been conducted at the village-level. She also informed that around 890 families have been given essential commodities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mawsynram MLA and member of the Assembly panel, HM Shangpliang advised the district administration to conduct a review meeting and furnish a report on the healthcare issues in the district including low institutional delivery, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) scheme, number of women whose deliveries were conducted in hospital, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate status besides other related issues.
Reiterating that women and children are to be protected, he stated that young girls and boys should not be employed or engaged in coal mining or child labour.
Meanwhile, a Committee member, Rupert M Momin, Kharkutta MLA, clarified that the Committee was not pin pointing the loopholes in the administration but sought to understand the problems faced by the district and find ways and means to bring development.
In the meeting, another member Miani D Shira raised the issue of the recent incident at Tihiang River where six people drowned.
With regard to crime against women and children, Superintendent of Police, South West Khasi Hills, MB Syiem, informed the panel that as many as 54 cases were registered under POCSO Act in the district in the last one year, out of which, 47 have been disposed of while seven are still pending.
The SP also informed that there is not enough manpower to run a women police station in the district, while adding that five cases have been registered in the last one year for crime against women under the police station.
