PNS | VIJAYAWADA
Chairperson of Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission (APWC), Vasireddy Padma, has provided an update on the missing women and girls situation, stating that 78% of them have been successfully traced and reunited with their families. She made this announcement while addressing concerns raised by Jana Sena chief K Pawan Kalyan.
Padma questioned why K Pawan Kalyan failed to acknowledge that Andhra Pradesh stood at the 11th position in terms of missing women and girls, while Telangana ranked sixth.
She challenged him to attend ‘Rachabanda’, a public debate, to discuss his allegations on this matter.
Referring to a statement made by Union Minister for Home in the Rajya Sabha, Padma emphasised that teenage love stories portrayed in cinemas could also be a contributing factor to missing girls, alongside the issues raised about the volunteer system.
The chairperson clarified that 78% of the missing women and girls have been successfully traced and reunited with their families, accusing Pawan Kalyan of omitting this fact from his remarks.
Regarding Pawan Kalyan’s association with the Telugu Desam party during 2014-2019, Padma questioned why he did not prioritize the protection of women’s self-respect and raised concerns about women’s safety during that period. She criticized Pawan Kalyan for baselessly targeting the volunteers appointed by the AP government to serve the people and holding them accountable for the issue of missing women and girls.
Padma highlighted that the AP government has been providing various welfare schemes and benefits to women, with village and ward volunteers playing a significant role in ensuring these benefits reach the people.
In reference to the TDP’s distribution of sarees, which led to a tragic stampede resulting in the loss of lives, she called for a debate on the comments made by film actors, while also dismissing political motives being attributed to the APWC.
