NEW DELHI: Slamming the West Bengal government for its alleged failure to implement crucial safety measures for women and girls, the Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi hoped that the State would strive to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls by creating a safe and secure environment.
The minister also criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led government for not taking any step to start the remaining 11 fast-track special courts despite the pendency of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases.
The minister, responding to Banarjee’s August 22 letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also pulled up the State for failing to implement key emergency helplines such as the Women Helpline (WHL), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) and Child Helpline, while emphasizing that these services are vital for providing immediate support to victims of violence but remain unimplemented despite repeated reminders from the Central government.
The minister began her letter, by saying, "At the outset, I would like to convey my sincere and deepest condolences to the parents of the brave daughter who lived in this world to serve the humanity at large through her noble profession."
"It is most unfortunate that the worst form of cruelty and violence was inflicted upon her," Devi further said in her letter, dated August 25, referring to the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, which triggered nationwide protests from doctors, who shunned work for over 10 days demanding justice.
In response to Banerjee’s demand for a tough central law to punish rapists, the minister said the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita implemented last month "comprehensively addresses the issues of crimes against women by providing stringent punishments."
On fast-track special courts, the minister said a centrally sponsored scheme to set up such courts was launched in October 2019. "As of 30.06.2024, 752 FTSCs including 409 exclusive POCSO Courts are functional in 30 States/UTs which have disposed of more than 2,53,000 cases since the inception of scheme. Under the scheme, the State of West Bengal was allocated a total of 123 FTSCs, which included 20 exclusive POCSO Courts and 103 combined FTSCs dealing with both rape and POCSO Act cases. However, none of these courts had been operationalized till mid-June, 2023," the minister said.
"The State of West Bengal communicated its willingness to participate in the Scheme vide letter dated 08.06.2023, committing to start 7 FTSCs. Under the revised target, West Bengal has been allocated 17 FTSCs, of which only 6 exclusive POCSO Courts have been operationalized as of 30.06 2024. In spite of a pendency of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases in West Bengal, the State Government has not taken any steps to start the remaining 11 FTSCS. Action in this regard is pending with the state government," the minister further said in her letter, which was shared on Monday.
The minister further took on the chief minister for failing to implement the national helpline services to respond to distress calls from women and children.
"Recognizing the need for Helplines as first responders in the golden hour to a woman or child in distress, Women Helpline (WHL) 181, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) -112, Child Helpline 1098, Cyber Crime Helpline - 1930 have been put in place in the last few years. The WHL and Child Helplines have been integrated with ERSS also. But, unfortunately, the people of the State of West Bengal cannot utilize this facility as the State Government has not implemented the WHL despite many requests and reminders from Gol," she said.
Highlighting that there are existing legislative frameworks, that are stringent enough to tackle the violence and crimes against women, Devi said, “However, you would agree that effective implementation of these provisions of law as well as various initiatives of the Central Government for women's safety falls in the ambit of the State Government. The State machinery must be fully sensitised and geared up to take fullest advantage of the legal and schematic provisions made by the Central Government for ensuring safety and security of women and girls in the State of West Bengal.”
"I sincerely hope and trust that the Government of West Bengal will strive towards eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls by creating a safe and secure ecosystem and gender-equal society for them to grow and prosper,” she concluded.
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