MARGAO: In a recent statement, Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress President Beena Naik criticised the BJP government for its inaction over the past 15 months regarding a Private Member’s Bill aimed at preventing widow discrimination. Naik emphasised the urgency for Women and Child Development Minister Vishwajit Rane to promptly introduce legislation addressing this issue. She pointed out that Goa could have led the nation if the government had acted on the Private Member Resolution proposed by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on March 31, 2023.
Naik stated that if the BJP government had immediately acted on Alemao's resolution, urging the government to take steps against "Widow Discrimination, Widow Isolation, and Widow Abuse," Goa would have become the first state in India to enact such a law, setting an example for others. "Time is still not lost and I urge Women and Child Development Minister Vishwajit Rane to bring a bill in the seventh session of the eighth Goa Legislative Assembly commencing in July and give justice to widows,” stated Naik.
Naik further emphasised that the Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress has always supported needy widows in Goa and had previously submitted a memorandum to all MLAs, urging sympathetic steps to protect widows. She believes a strong law would provide significant relief to widows across all religions facing challenges after the death of their husbands.