Bhubaneswar,7th Aug 2025: The Odisha Government has appointed Sobhna Mohanty as the new Chairperson of the State Women Commission, as announced in a notification released today by the Department of Women and Child Development. A resident of Karanjia village under Remuna block in Balasore district, Sobhna will hold the post for three years.
Reacting to her appointment, Sobhna said she had not expected the position, but was happy and committed to delivering justice to women across the state. “I will not spare wrongdoers, irrespective of political affiliation,” she said. “As a daughter of Balasore, I will always fight for justice for women.”
In a separate notification, the government has appointed Babita Patra, a resident of Samantnagar Lane-4, Mayur Vihar, Berhampur, as the new Chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The post had remained vacant for nearly five months following the removal of the previous chairperson, Mandakini Kar.
Babita Patra, in her media statement, expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Deputy Chief Minister Prabhati Parida for their trust. She pledged to ensure child rights and protection, curb child abuse, and prepare a roadmap in coordination with various departments to stop child trafficking and child labour. “The BJP government is committed to child welfare,” she added, promising strict action against sexual abuse and exploitation of minors.
Additionally, the government has appointed four new members to the Women and Child Commissions:
Pratibha Satapathy from Fakirpada, Kandarpur, Cuttack
Urmila Mahapatra from Surya Nagar, Kumud Tower, Unit-7, Bhubaneswar
Kalpana Millik from Kapaleswar village, Kendrapara district
Mukta Sahu from Lakhmara village, Padmapur block, Bargarh district