‘Mahila Aayog Aaplya Dari’ Initiative Aims to Reach More Women – Rupali Chakankar68 Women’s Complaints Addressed During Public Hearing

Nagpur, Sept 2025 : Marriage is the foundation of Indian society, and rising divorce rates must be addressed seriously. Therefore, along with post-marital counseling, it is equally important to focus on pre-marital counseling for the youth, said State Women’s Commission Chairperson Rupali Chakankar. She announced that the Commission will give top priority to setting up pre-marital counseling centers in the near future.

The State Women’s Commission organized a public hearing at the District Planning Bhavan in Nagpur under the initiative ‘Mahila Aayog Aaplya Dari’ (Women’s Commission at Your Doorstep) to resolve women’s issues and grievances. The event was attended by Commission Secretary Nandini Awade, District Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar, Superintendent of Police Harsh Poddar, Zilla Parishad CEO Vinayak Mahamuni, Nagpur Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Vaishnavi B., District Legal Services Authority Secretary Adv. Praveen Unhale, Women and Child Development Deputy Commissioner Dattatraya Munde, District Women and Child Development Officer Sunil Mesre, along with legal experts, police officials, counselors, and representatives of NGOs.

Chakankar said that since the Commission headquarters is in Mumbai, women from remote parts of the state cannot always travel to the city due to financial, social, or other reasons. Therefore, the Commission takes the initiative to visit districts and organize hearings locally. This saves time and money for women while also ensuring justice for victims of injustice and violence.

The initiative started in Gadchiroli and, over the past four years, hearings have been held across Maharashtra. “The central and state governments have introduced several strong laws for women’s safety. The Commission’s role is to support women and ensure justice against injustice. Women’s participation in this process is equally important,” Chakankar said.

During today’s hearing, 68 complaints were registered, the majority being family-related. Four separate panels were formed to address the grievances. The first panel, chaired by Rupali Chakankar, included the Collector, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Commission Secretary, Municipal Additional Commissioner, Legal Services Secretary, and senior police officials. Other panels included legal experts, NGO representatives, police officers, and counselors. Where immediate action was not possible, complaints were forwarded to the concerned authorities for follow-up.

Breakdown of Complaints:

• Family/Marital disputes: 37
• Social issues: 14
• Financial/property disputes: 7
• Workplace harassment: 8
• Other types: 2

Chakankar noted that women from across the district responded positively to the initiative. Each complainant was given a token number at the registration desk before presenting their written complaints before the panels. Every case was patiently heard and addressed.

POSH Act Implementation:
Speaking to the media before the event, Chakankar said the Commission had demanded mandatory POSH audits in all offices to ensure effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act. Acting positively, the government issued a resolution on August 22, 2025, making it compulsory. “It is our responsibility to ensure a safe environment for the large ‘working women force’ across districts,” she said.