Kochi: Dowry Prohibition Officers shall be appointed in all districts, said Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday.
The announcement, part of Streepaksham campaign, was made as the minister inaugurated a web seminar convened by the Women’s Subcommittee of All India Lawyers’ Union to discuss dowry deaths, personal law, in heritance law etc.
The High Court had recently touched upon these issues over a Public Interest Litigation(PIL) on the topic. Earlier, Dowry Prohibition Officers were appointed at regional offices of Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode only. Now that’s about to change and each districts will a Dowry Prohibition officer of its own. The new officals will come under the purview of Department of Kerala State Women and Child Development. However, the department has not been fully formulated. The process of renaming designations by giving additional charge to related officials is presently in its final stages, said the minister.
Although there exists Dowry Prohibition Act, nobody lodges a complaint in this regard, said Minister. The cases that have come before the regional offices are rather few and far between. As per law accepting or giving of dowry are equally unlawful. This perhaps is the reason why a complaint gets lodged only when there occurs a death, torture or abandonment, said the minister.
Senior High Court advocate P Viswanahtan presented the topic. Speakers at the seminar included the Union’s state office bearers Adv CP Pramod, Aisha Potti, Laha Thankappan. Adv KR Deepa presided over the event. Adv Mary Beena delivered the welcome note and Adv KM Rashmi vote of thanks.
