Bokaro steel plant MD Shashi Shekhar Mohanty inaugurates a JSWC office on Tuesday. (Pankaj Singh)

Bokaro, April 12: The Jharkhand State Women’s Commission (JSWC) today took a step forward to reach out to more people.

Currently managing with only two members (though it is supposed to have five), of whom one is on maternity leave for the past months, the commission today opened its office at Bokaro steel city — the second one in the state. Shashi Shekhar Mohanty, the managing director of Bokaro steel plant, which has provided the office to the commission, did the honours.

A proud chairperson of the commission Hemlata S. Mohan chose the occasion to reveal that they had solved more than 117 cases of domestic violence, eve teasing and dowry since the time she took charge about six months ago.

“When I joined this post last September, the JSWC was handling only five to seven cases. The number has now risen to an average of 30 cases per month. Of these, 80 per cent cases are of domestic violence followed by eve-teasing, dowry-related problems and physical torture in the name of practising witchcraft. But we have been able to take action and lodge complaints with the help of police, thanks to DGP G.S. Rath, IG (CID) Anurag Gupta and other officers,” Mohan said.

Asked why Bokaro had been chosen to house the second office of JSWC, Mohan said: “Women from this zone and also from Santhal Pargana had been demanding an office for a long time. Bokaro steel plant agreed to provide us a furnished place and we just grabbed the opportunity.”

Bokaro’s location was the final clincher. It is equidistant from Santhal Pargana, Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh and even Ranchi (all within 120km and 140km). Coal belt cities of Dhanbad, Giridih and Koderma are also nearby. “Hence, women from these areas can easily approach us here,” she added.

When pointed out that despite all efforts, the state was still plagued by the trafficking menace, Mohan said for the first time, Jharkhand had been included in the list of six states for United Nations Development Funds for Women in India.

“We have taken the help of several NGOs, police and other associations in curbing this crime. But my main mission is to generate livelihood for the girls after they are rescued,” Mohan said.

On the delay in appointing three other members, she said the matter had been taken up with the authorities.

Speaking to The Telegraph after the inauguration of the JSWC office, Mohanty said: “Bokaro steel plant will also help the commission start technical training centres here.”