West Bengal did not implement Centre’s schemes to cope with crimes in opposition to girls: WCD minister

Amid uproar over the rape of a health care provider in West Bengal, Union Minister Annapurna Devi has mentioned the state of affairs of ladies within the State has been “deteriorating” and slammed the Mamata Banerjee authorities for failing to implement Central authorities schemes similar to quick observe courts and emergency helplines to cope with crimes in opposition to girls.

The Girls and Baby Improvement Minister Devi advised PTI it was ironic that West Bengal is the one State within the nation that has a girl Chief Minister and “still the situation of women in the State is deteriorating”.

“There are States like West Bengal where we are trying to get the Central government schemes implemented but it is not happening. There are central government schemes, such as fast track special courts and POCSO courts, that have been established to deal with crimes against women and children but the State (West Bengal) is lagging behind in it,” Ms. Devi mentioned.

“We are sponsoring the scheme so you don’t have to spend money but the State has to implement it. We have been giving suggestions to the State to implement schemes related to women and children,” she added.

Ms. Devi mentioned the quick observe particular courts (FTSCs), which have been allotted to West Bengal, are but to change into operational within the State.

“There are 752 fast-track special courts (FTSCs), including 409 exclusive POCSO Courts, functioning across 30 States and Union Territories and they have disposed of over 2,53,000 cases since the scheme began. West Bengal was allocated 123 FTSCs under this scheme, with 20 dedicated POCSO Courts and 103 combined FTSCs handling both rape and POCSO Act cases. However, none of these courts had become operational,” she mentioned.

The WCD Minister additionally pulled up the State for failing to implement key emergency helplines — the Girls Helpline (WHL), Emergency Response Assist System (ERSS) and Baby Helpline. She mentioned these companies are very important for offering speedy assist to victims of violence however haven’t been carried out in West Bengal regardless of repeated reminders from the Centre.

The Minister’s feedback come amid large protests in West Bengal following the alleged rape and homicide of a trainee physician on the State-run R.G. Kar Medical School and Hospital in Kolkata.

The BJP has known as for a 12-hour shutdown within the State on Wednesday, protesting police motion in opposition to demonstrators throughout a march to the State secretariat.

Ms. Devi additionally spoke on the upcoming vitamin month, which is well known yearly within the month of September. This yr’s celebration will probably be targeted on the central authorities initiative, ‘Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi’ (PBPB), which was launched to enhance the capability of anganwadi staff to supply early childhood care and training, vitamin, and companies to youngsters below six years previous.

The Minister added that below the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ marketing campaign, the anganwadis throughout the nation have been suggested to hold out a plantation drive.

The ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ marketing campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 5 to mark World Setting Day, below which some 140 crore bushes will probably be planted throughout the nation.