Jharkhand district committees to help violence-hit women get maintenance

The recommendation to streamline the process by forming the district-level committee was made during these meetings.

The Jharkhand High Court has ordered the constitution of district-level committees made up of the district judge and the superintendent of police to address difficulties faced by women affected by violence in accessing maintenance awarded to them by courts.

This follows concerns expressed by the central government regarding procedural hurdles faced by women in such situations. The Ministry of Women and Child Development had raised the issue and it was discussed with representatives from National Legal Services Authority, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Law University, Delhi, and civil society groups working with women affected by violence.

The recommendation to streamline the process by forming the district-level committee was made during these meetings.

A high court circular dated December 18 said: “The committee shall work seamlessly in its district to ensure access to justice to women with the following objectives: (1) to monitor the timely disbursal of maintenance awarded by the court; (2) to supervise the speedy execution of warrants awarded by the court in collaboration with the state police towards the grant of maintenance; (3) to simplify and ensure timely execution of proceedings with regard to the grant of maintenance to women by the subordinate courts.”