VIJAYAWADA: The State government has given a green signal for the establishment of 13 special courts that will exclusively deal with cases of sexual offences and others falling under the purview of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
As per the government order issued on Thursday, every district will have one special court with 21 staff members. The staff will include a district judge (entry-level), superintendent (head clerk), superintendent (translator), senior assistant (U.D.B.C.), examiner, copyist, a record assistant and a full-time masalchi.
This apart, there will be three stenographers of Group I level, three junior assistants and five office subordinates (attenders).
The government will sanction Rs 1.93 crore every year for the overall expenditure of the courts, including salaries of the employees, contingent expenses and expense towards purchase of furniture.
The special courts are expected to start functioning from the end of February. The staff will be appointed by district judges.
Meanwhile, the government has sanctioned Rs 87.14 crore for DISHA centres, which will be established in all teaching and district hospitals to ensure speedy medical examination of victims, and upgradation of women police stations to Disha police stations and existing labs. It might be added here that the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra is planning to introduce legislation on the lines of the Disha Act in Andhra Pradesh.