Acting on public outcry against growing incidents of sexual assault, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paved the way for setting up of 218 new fast track courts for speedy trial of sexual offences in Uttar Pradesh.
This and other decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister in Lucknow on Monday.
Disclosing the proposal cleared by the cabinet, Law Minister Brajesh Pathak said that 42,388 cases of sexual offences against children and 25,749 cases of rape and sexual crimes against women were pending in state courts.
“Due to the high number of pending cases and for their speedy disposal, 218 new fast-track courts will be set up in the state. Of these, 144 will be especially for crimes against women and they will hear only rape cases. As many as 74 new fast track courts will be dedicated to trying cases of crimes against children under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act,” Pathak said.
The law minister said that new posts of additional sessions judges would be created for these 218 fast track courts.
“An estimated Rs 75 lakh budget will be earmarked for each of these courts. While the state will bear 40 per cent of the earmarked fund, the Centre will bear the remaining 60 per cent,” Pathak told reporters.
Meanwhile, the government also decided to connect Purvanchal Expressway with Yamuna Expressway and extend it up to Ballia district.
Besides, to further strengthen the state’s transport system, air-conditioned buses will be introduced on gross cost contract model under Public-Private Partnership model in cities like Lucknow, Meerut, Prayagraj, Agra, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Moradabad, Aligarh, Jhansi, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Shahjahanpur, Mathura and Vrindavan. The scheme will be run with the help of the Central government.
Government spokesman and Energy Minister Sidharth Nath Singh said the cabinet gave its approval for expanding the municipal limits of Ayodhya, Gorakhpur and Firozabad. Also, the borders of Lalitpur and Basti districts would be expanded.
“As many as 41 villages have been included in municipal limits of Ayodhya Municipal Corporation. Similarly, 31 villages have been included in the municipal limits of Gorakhpur, while one village in Firozabad has been brought under Firozabad Municipal Corporation. Besides, 31 villages have also been brought under Kushinagar Municipal Corporation,” Singh said.
The state cabinet also decided to make it mandatory to seek permission of the Forest department for felling 29 varieties of trees, including Neem, Sal and Mahua.
“Now one will have to plant 10 trees for cutting one tree. If one does not have the required land to plant these trees, then the required amount of money will have to be deposited so that trees can be planted on the land of Forest department,” Singh said.
The cabinet also decided to impose 5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on extra neutral alcohol, which is produced during liquor manufacturing.
The cabinet also approved Zurich Airport International as the developer of the proposed Jewar airport.
On November 29, the Swiss firm had emerged as the highest bidder to develop Jewar airport in Greater Noida, outbidding competitors like Adani Enterprises, DIAL and Anchorage Infrastructure Investments Holding.