Digital Desk: The Centre on Monday responded to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the increase in rape incidents across the country. In its reply, the Centre highlighted that West Bengal has been allocated 123 fast-track courts, many of which are still not operational.
This response comes in the wake of public outrage over the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month. Under criticism for the incident, Mamata Banerjee wrote to PM Modi last week, calling for a stringent central law to punish rapists. In her letter, she also noted that there are 90 rape cases reported daily in the country, with many victims being murdered.
In her letter to Mamata Banerjee, Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi criticized the West Bengal government for failing to implement essential emergency helplines, including the Women Helpline, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), and Child Helpline.
The Union minister also sharply condemned Bengal's failure to activate the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) established under a central scheme to address the backlog of sexual offense cases.
"As of June 30, 2024, there are 752 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) in operation across 30 states and Union Territories, including 409 exclusive POCSO Courts. These courts have resolved over 253,000 cases since the scheme began. West Bengal was allocated 123 FTSCs under this scheme, comprising 20 exclusive POCSO Courts and 103 combined FTSCs for handling both rape and POCSO Act cases. However, none of these courts were operational until mid-June 2023," stated Annapurna Devi.
"West Bengal expressed its intention to join the scheme in a letter dated June 8, 2023, committing to establish 7 FTSCs. Under the revised targets, the state was allocated 17 FTSCs, but only 6 exclusive POCSO Courts have been operational as of June 30, 2024. Despite a backlog of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases in the state, the West Bengal government has not initiated the remaining 11 FTSCs. Action on this matter is still pending with the state government," she added.
The Union minister's letter also emphasized that the existing legal framework is robust enough to address crimes against women. "However, as you (Mamata Banerjee) would agree, the effective implementation of these legal provisions and various Central Government initiatives for women's safety falls under the jurisdiction of the State Government. It is crucial that the state machinery is fully engaged and prepared to leverage the legal and schematic provisions provided by the Central Government to ensure the safety and security of women and girls in West Bengal," the minister said.
"I sincerely hope that the Government of West Bengal will work towards eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls by fostering a safe and secure environment and promoting gender equality," she concluded.
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