Bhubaneswar, Feb 27: Raising concerns over the increasing incidents of violence against women in Odisha, the state unit of the Congress has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate such cases. According to the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), at least seven women face atrocities daily in the state, with 1,600 cases reported in the last eight months under the current BJP-led government.
Newly appointed OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das has set up a seven-member committee, led by former minister Nagendra Pradhan, to probe these incidents. The team includes three women members and will conduct on-ground assessments by visiting various districts.
Alongside Pradhan, the committee comprises former MLA Sujit Padhi, legislators Sophia Firdosh and Satyajit Gamang, AICC Women’s Congress secretary Sasmita Behera, and party leaders Manas Malik and Lipika Majhi.
“The committee will soon begin its visits to affected districts, inspect incident sites, investigate reported cases, and provide a comprehensive report to the Pradesh Congress Committee,” stated OPCC Media Coordinator Deepak Kumar Mahapatra.
The move comes amid rising political tensions over law and order in Odisha, with Congress positioning itself as a voice against gender-based violence under the BJP government.