Indian Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi on Monday urged the West Bengal government to create a safe ecosystem and a gender-equitable society for women and girls.
Replying to a letter written by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the central government last week on the need for improved central legislation and setting up of fast-track special courts (FTSCs), Devi said the state had not taken any steps to set up 11 fast-track special courts despite having 48,600 rape cases and cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act pending.
Devi mentioned in her letter that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, which came into force nationwide on July 1, combats crimes against women with strict measures.
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She said that key provisions included that sexual intercourse by fraudulent means could be punished with up to 10 years in prison, rape of a woman under 16 years of age could be punished with not less than 20 years’ imprisonment, up to life imprisonment, and a fine, and rape of a woman under 12 years of age could be punished with not less than 20 years’ imprisonment, up to life imprisonment, or death.
On the issue of special fast-track courts, the government pointed out that the centrally sponsored scheme launched in October 2019 was aimed at speeding up trials in rape and POCSO Act cases. The central government said that as of June 30, 2024, 752 FTSCs, including 400 exclusive POCSO courts, were operational in 30 states/UTs and had disposed of more than 253,000 cases.
Devi claimed that West Bengal was allotted 123 FTSCs, including 20 exclusive POCSO courts. However, as of June 30, 2024, only 6 exclusive POCSO courts were operational and the state is yet to operationalise the remaining 11 FTSCs.
The minister also pointed out that the state had failed to implement various helplines offered by the central government.
“Despite several requests and reminders from the Indian government, the state has not used the women’s helpline 181,” she said.
The letter also claimed that other hotlines such as the Women Helpline (WHL), the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) and the Child Helpline were also not being used.
Devi said that while the legal framework is sound, the effective implementation of these legal provisions along with various central government initiatives on women’s safety is the responsibility of the state government.
