Jagratha Samithi
What is a Jagratha Samithi?
A Jagratha Samithi is a local-level protection forum dedicated to safeguarding the rights and ensuring the physical, mental, and personal safety of women and children. It works with constant vigilance to prevent atrocities, rights violations, and social ostracization directed against them.
To establish a protective framework, these committees take immediate action on issues requiring urgent intervention. They also address cases and problems that might otherwise be neglected due to the absence of other specific committees, utilizing available legal protections and support systems for women and children.
🎯 Objectives of the Jagratha Samithi
✔️ To protect the rights of women and children and ensure robust intervention and resolution mechanisms against any form of violence, discrimination, injustice, exploitation, or denial of rights.
✔️ To receive complaints involving women and children and facilitate resolutions through immediate intervention or support systems.
✔️ To refer complaints or issues that cannot be resolved locally to the District Jagratha Samithi, the Women's Commission, other government bodies, or legal aid agencies, and to ensure—through follow-up actions—that the outcomes reach the grassroots level.
✔️ To coordinate efforts involving government agencies and schemes dedicated to protecting the rights of women and girls. Coordinate the activities of various other agencies with the Vigilance Committee to facilitate operations aimed at shared objectives.
✔️ Implement initiatives to create a social environment free from issues affecting women and children.
✔️ Form various collectives and utilize community-based systems to achieve these goals.
✔️ Ensure community monitoring and support for interventions addressing situations where women and children are vulnerable to abuse.
🏛️ Grama Panchayat Vigilance Committee – Structure
The Panchayat-level committee consists of eleven members.
🔹 Office Bearers
Chairperson – Grama Panchayat President
Vice Chairperson – Vice President
Convener – ICDS Supervisor, Department of Women and Child Development
Co-Convener – Panchayat Secretary
🔹 Members
Chairperson of the Welfare Standing Committee
Lawyer
Local Police Station Inspector / Sub-Inspector
Female Panchayat Member or Social Worker from the SC/ST community
Medical Officer of the Primary Health Centre (PHC)
CDS Chairperson
A representative selected from the conveners of Ward-level Vigilance Committees
🔹 Invitees
Representative of the District Child Protection Committee (DCPC)
Educational Officer
👥 Vigilance Committee Member Details
Sl. No.
Designation
Name
Mobile Number
1
Chairperson - Grama Panchayat President
Smt. Susamma Mathew
7510765245
2
Vice Chairperson - Vice President
Smt. Rajani Shaji
9562210575
3
Convener - ICDS Supervisor
Neetha George
8921413808
4
Co-Convener - Panchayat Secretary
S. Shahul Ahmed
9447915258
5
Chairperson, Welfare Standing Committee
Smt. Ponnamma V.K.
9947358366
6
Advocate
7
Police Station Inspector / Sub-Inspector
8
SC/ST Woman Panchayat Member / Social Worker
9
Medical Officer, Primary Health Centre
10
CDS Chairperson
Shiji Shaji
9995061417
11
A person selected from the conveners of Ward-level Vigilance Committees
📢 Filing Complaints:
Complaints regarding violence against women and children, domestic abuse, violations of rights, etc., can be submitted either in person or in writing at the Kanjirappally Grama Panchayat office.
🏘️ Ward/Division Level Vigilance Committee
The Ward/Division Vigilance Committee is a sub-unit of the vigilance committee formed for women and children at the local self-government level. The general meeting of the ward-level committee can be organized alongside Grama Sabhas or as a special Grama Sabha. 📋 Structure of the Ward/Division-level Vigilance Committee
**Position**
**Responsible Person**
Chairperson
Ward Member / Councilor
Vice Chairperson
ADS President / Elected Woman Representative
Convener
Anganwadi Worker / ASHA Worker / SC-ST Promoter / Prerak
Joint Convener
Elected Member
👥 **Other Members**
A respected local figure (Doctor, Lawyer, Retired Official)
Representative of voluntary organizations (Libraries, Clubs, Associations)
Representatives of major political parties – 2 persons (one must be a woman)
ADS / CDS Representative
📌 **Ex-officio Members (Invitees)**
**Sl. No.**
**Member**
1
Health Worker active in the ward
2
Representative of the Sanitation Committee active in the ward
3
Anganwadi Teacher / Councilor active in the ward
4
Ward Development Committee Convener
5
Balasabha President
📢 **Note:**
Complaints regarding issues such as violence against women and children, domestic abuse, violation of rights, and social ostracism can be submitted directly to the Vigilance Committee. Confidentiality and safety regarding complaints will be ensured.
Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Kerala