Odisha Govt "insensitive" towards crimes against women: NCW

Accusing Odisha government of being "insensitive" to crimes against women, National Commission for Women (NCW) today said there had been a spurt in henious crimes against women in the state.
"Odisha government is insensitive towards crimes against women. There is increase in crimes against women in the state," NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma told reporters after arriving here to probe rape and murder of a blind girl.
Odisha government rejected Sharma's charge. "Let the NCW chairperson read the NCRB (national crime record bureau) data on the crimes against women in Congress-ruled states before giving comment on Odisha situation," said Panchayati Raj Minister Kalpataru Das.

Stating that the state of women across the country was bad, Mamta Sharma said awareness was the tool to fight the menace.
Sharma, who is on her first visit to Odisha as chairperson of NCW, is scheduled to meet the parents of a 14-year old blind girl who was raped and murdered on June 7 on Puri-Konark marine drive.
She, along with other NCW members, will visit the place of the crime and take stock of the frequent assaults on women taking place on Puri-Konark marine drive stretch.

Sharma will be accompanied by the Head of Honour for Women National Campaign, Manasi Pradhan. They will attend several empowerment programmes on tribal women in tribal pockets of Khurda district.

She will also visit several remote villages in the Barabara forest area of Banpur region now reeling under the incursion of Maoist and interact with the women residents to get familiar with their problems.
"We'll like to see the situation of tribal women in Khurda district," she said.