The NDA government at the center has questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding women’s safety. The Bengal government has been accused of failing to implement safety measures for women. Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi said that the state has not taken any steps so far to start the remaining 11 special fast track courts. 48,600 cases of rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) are pending in the state. It is known that Mamata Banerjee had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days ago. In this, she had demanded a strict central law to punish the rapists. In the letter sent in response to this, the Union Minister accused Bengal of failing to implement emergency helplines like Women Helpline, Emergency Response Support System and Child Helpline.
Annapurna Devi called these services essential for providing immediate relief to victims of violence. She said the state was yet to integrate them despite repeated reminders from the central government. She argued that this omission deprives women and children in West Bengal of the support they need in times of distress. She also referred to the state’s inability to operate special fast track courts, which have been allotted under a centrally sponsored scheme, despite the backlog of cases related to sexual offences.
Emphasis on implementing strict legal framework and judicial processes
The letter was written by the Minister of Women and Child Development on August 25. It emphasizes on implementing strict legal framework and judicial processes to ensure the safety of women and children in West Bengal. The scheme related to special fast track courts, launched in October 2019, was designed to expedite the hearing and disposal of pending cases related to rape, POCSO. Under this scheme, the central government had asked West Bengal to set up 123 such courts, including 20 special POCSO courts and 103 joint courts for both rape and POCSO cases.
Only 6 special POCSO courts by June 30, 2024
The minister said that none of these courts had become operational by mid-June, 2023. Devi informed that despite the state government’s commitment to start seven FTSCs in June, 2023, only 6 special POCSO courts were operational as of June 30, 2024. She said that this delay continues despite 48,600 rape and POCSO cases pending in the state. The minister expressed serious concern over the state government’s inaction in activating the remaining 11 special fast track courts. The minister urged the West Bengal government to take effective steps to eliminate all forms of discrimination, violence against women and girls. She called for creating a safe and secure environment that promotes gender equality and empowers women to move forward.