In a step towards empowering women and ensure their safety and security in Haryana, the Manohar lal Khattar Government on Thursday announced to debar the accused in rape and eve-teasing cases from getting government facilities such as old age pension, pension for the physically disabled persons, driving and arm licenses.
“Except for ration, other government services will remain suspended till the court announces verdict in the case. In case, the accused is convicted and sentenced, he would not be eligible for these facilities anymore,” announced the Chief Minister at a programme on women security and empowerment organized under the Ek Aur Sudhar Programme in Panchkula, near here.
With less than a year to go for 2019 general election, the Chief Minister made a slew of announcements for ensuring women security in the state. These included financial assistance to rape victim for hiring a lawyer, self-defence training for girl students, time frame to investigate matter of crimes against women, free of cost transport facility for girl students among other initiatives.
In case, a rape victim wanted to hire a lawyer of her choice except for the one provided by the State Government, she would be provided financial assistance of Rs 22,000 as fees, he announced.
Manohar lal said that provision of uninterrupted investigation in cases of rape and eve-teasing would be made in all police stations. Also, a comprehensive scheme for the safety and security of women would be launched either on Independence Day on August 15 or on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on August 26, he added.
Announcing a time frame in cases of crime against women, he said that the investigation officer would have to complete the investigation into a rape case in one month, and, in eve-teasing within 15 days, otherwise action would be taken against him.
Six Fast Track Courts would be set up in those districts where 50 or more cases of rape, eve-teasing and mental harassment are pending in the courts. These include two in Faridabad and one each in Gurugram, Panipat, Sonipat and Nuh, he announced.
Manohar lal further said that he would shortly meet the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to request him to issue necessary directions to the court to record the statement of a woman on the same day, and not to adjourn the hearing to any other day.
Apart from this, he also announced that the State Government would give training in self-defence to the girl students of classes 9th to 12th. Instructors for imparting training would be appointed in such girls’ schools as have more than 50 students in 9th and 10th classes, he said.
A new scheme ‘Chatra Parivahan Suraksha Scheme’ was also announced to provide free-of-cost transport facility for girl students.
Under the scheme, the facility of bus, mini-bus or tempo would be made available as per requirement in case there is no high or senior secondary school within three-km radius of a village, and the girl students of 9th and 10th of that village have to go far away for studies or to pursue 11th or 12th in science or commerce stream. The expenditure on this facility would be borne by the government, he added.
In the past three-and-a-half years tenure of his government, Manohar lal has faced sharp criticism from various quarters for increase in cases of heinous crimes against women.
Earlier this year, Haryana Assembly had passed a Bill which provides for death penalty to those found guilty of raping girls aged 12 years or less.
Notably, the state recorded the highest number of gang rapes in India as per National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data 2016. It stated that Haryana registered one gang rape every two days.
According to the State Government’s data, Haryana had witnessed 1016 cases of rape from April 2017 to January 2018, which averages to more than three rapes a day. The state had witnessed 1049 cases of rape from April 2016 to March 2017 while the number of rape cases was 1001 from April 2015 to March 2016.
The cases of molestation, attempt to rape, eve teasing, and kidnapping of women/girls also witnessed a sharp increase in past three years in the state.
With a view to providing a safe and secure atmosphere to girls and women during night, the Chief Minister on Thursday also announced that 2,100 new posts have been sanctioned exclusively for night patrolling. Apart from this, special patrolling would also be carried out in those areas in daytime also where girls and women stay alone in their houses, he said.
Spelling out the initiatives taken by his government for the welfare of women and girls in the past, he said that to enable girl students to get higher education, it has been decided to open a college, preferably a women’s college, at a distance of every 20 kilometers.
During the 44-month tenure of our government, we have opened 44 new colleges, including 29 women’s colleges. We have set up 26 women police stations, he said.
Apart from this, the participation of women in the state police has also increased from six per cent to nine per cent. A target has been fixed to further increase it to 20 per cent, he added.
Earlier, the Chief Minister also launched Durga Shakti mobile App and honoured four women for their outstanding contribution in different fields.
‘Durga Shakti App’ of Haryana Police will enable women to seek immediate help of police through Women Helpline Number 1091 in case of emergency. After downloading the app on android platform, any women or girl who is in distress could send information alongwith GPS location at women help line number of their district through Whatsapp just by pressing a red button appeared on the App. The victim does not need to speak, once she presses the red button.
The Chief Minister also launched Information Education and Communication (IEC) material for text books of school students to generate awareness among girls’ students about the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) and other related acts.
He also flagged off 50 new vehicles to be allotted to ‘Durga Shakti Rapid Action Force’ to check the incidents of eve teasing and other crime relates to women and girls in the state.