Enacted, but what about execution?

Two years after the Protection of Women against Domestic Violence Act came into force in Gujarat, its effective implementation is still awaited.

Other states spend lakhs on anti-domestic violence act, Gujarat districts get only Rs 10,000 per year

Two years after the Protection of Women against

Domestic Violence Act PWDVA came into force in Gujarat, its effective implementation is still awaited.

This is despite the appointment of in-charge 8216;protection officers8217; in 25 districts. These officers of the Social Defence Department hold the joint charge for implementing 11 different laws, including PWDVA.

In reply to an application under the Right to Information RTI Act filed by the 8216;Saurashtra Kuchchh Group of Agencies on Violence against Women8217;, the 8216;protection officers8217; in 22 districts reveal the poor state of affairs.

Each district gets a fund of Rs 10,000 every year for its implementation, but there has not been a single appointment of a full-time protection officer, whose role is to guide women who face violence, and ensure justice to them.

Initially,a fund of Rs 10.54 lakh was allotted to the 25 districts, which was later reduced to approximately Rs 6 lakh, of which Rs 2.50 lakh was meant for training and spreading awareness.

This brings down the calculation of funds per protection officer per year to a meagre Rs 10,000.

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But, from October 2006 to March 2008, final orders were pronounced in only four of a total 349 cases. While these four cases took one and a half year8217;s time, the Act requires the court order to be given within two months after a complaint is filed.

Again, 56 among the 267 cases received interim orders. At 97, Ahmedabad registered the most number of cases, ahead of Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot. Surat has not had a single judgment till date.

The act authorises and empowers service providers registered under it to assist women. But there has not been a single service provider appointed under it despite a public advertisement by the Department of Women and Child Development one and a half years ago.

Let8217;s compare
Andhra Pradesh allots Rs 10 crore for implementation
Delhi divides city into 18 zones, allots full-time protection officers to ensure proper implementation
Kerala allots Rs 25 lakh for training and awareness
Maharashtra makes anganwadis and gram panchayat members 8216;associates of protection officers8217;