KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern over the lack of response to her earlier appeal for a stronger legislation on crimes against women in the wake of a trainee doctor’s rape and murder in Kolkata.
In her latest letter, a copy of which she posted on her X handle, Banerjee accused the Centre of not taking her concerns seriously. “No reply was received from your end on such a sensitive issue,” she wrote.
Acknowledging the reply she received from the Minister of Women and Child Development, the Trinamool Congress supremo said it “barely attends the gravity of the issue raised in my letter.”
A few days back in a letter addressed to the Mamata, Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi had sharply criticised the state government for failing to implement measures for the safety of women and children.
Pushing back against the criticism, Banerjee defended the state’s efforts. “As many as 10 exclusive Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) courts have been approved by the state government,” she wrote.
“In addition to this, 88 fast-track special courts and 62 Pocso-designated courts are functioning throughout the state on complete state funding. Monitoring and disposal of cases is in the hands of the courts,” she added.
Banerjee also addressed concerns about the functionality of fast-track courts in the state.
Meanwhile, the state government’s decision to raise the yearly wages of a civil volunteer from Rs 3 to 5 lakh has invited flak as the suspect in the Kolkata rape-murder case was a civic volunteer.
Suvendu Adhikary, Leader of the Opposition, said “ This shows how eager the government is to safeguard the rights of civic volunteers. Instead of looking after the welfare of the Kolkata victim’s family, the chief minister is busy increasing the stipend of the civic volunteers. This is horrible.”