The Union Government has sanctioned Rs 10.6 crore from the Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) for Odisha to help acid attack victims.
The Union Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD) informed the State Government in this regard on Monday. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is the nodal agency for the CVCF.
Out of the Nirbhaya fund, Rs 200 crore is made available for the 29 States and the seven Union Territories. Among the States, Uttar Pradesh has been sanctioned Rs 28.10 crore, Madhya Pradesh Rs 21.85 crore and Maharashtra Rs 17.65 crore.
While for each acid attack a minimum Rs 3 lakh would be provided, a similar amount would be given for a rape victim also, said sources.
This is one of the several steps initiated by the Government of India to prevent cases of acid attack and to cater to the medical and other needs of the victims.
MoWCD Secretary Rakesh Srivastava has informed the Odisha Government that the acid attack victims will be provided a minimum compensation of Rs 3 lakh from the CVCF. He has also informed that in order to provide immediate temporary relief to the acid victims, an additional Rs 1 lakh is given to a victim from the Prime Ministers’ National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
To provide the compensation, the concerned District Magistrate will have to give a detailed report and the victim’s bank account, Aadhaar number and other documents so that funds are directly credited to the bank account of the victim within five working days.
The State administration will have to ensure that both CVCF and PMNRF compensations are provided in a time-bound manner. However, in special cases of provision of assistance up to Rs 5 lakh, the CVCF can be utilised over and above the compensation provided by the State Government.
The State Government may also formulate cashless treatment for the acid attack victims by creating a mechanism at the State level so that victims are not left in the lurch.
There is a growing demand for providing cashless treatment for the acid attack victims all over the country; and looking at the rise in such demand, the Union Government has decided to spend from the CVCF, said sources.
The State Government will spend the funds from the State Victim Compensation Fund, after which the amount would be recouped from the CVCF, said the sources.