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The political landscape of West Bengal has been dominated by a recent exchange between the state's Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, and the central government, focusing on the state's handling of crime against women. Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, advocating for the implementation of stricter central laws in cases involving rape and murder. This move comes in response to criticisms levelled by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, who asserted that the situation of women in West Bengal has been deteriorating and accused the state government of failing to effectively implement central schemes designed to combat crimes against women.
Banerjee, in her letter to the Prime Minister, highlighted the measures already undertaken by the West Bengal government to address the issue. She detailed the establishment of 10 exclusive POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) courts, approved by the state government, and the operationalization of 88 fast-track special courts and 62 POCSO-designated courts, all funded by the state. The Chief Minister further emphasized the availability of helpline numbers 112 and 1098, along with the widespread use of Dial-100 in emergency situations.
However, the central government, through the statements of Minister Devi, maintains that the situation in West Bengal requires more stringent measures. Devi contends that the fast-track special courts, despite being allocated to West Bengal, have yet to become operational in the state. Furthermore, she criticizes the state's failure to implement key emergency helplines, including the Women Helpline (WHL), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), and Child Helpline. This disagreement between the state and central governments highlights a significant divergence in their approaches to combating crime against women in West Bengal. The focus now shifts to whether the state will take further steps to address the concerns raised by the central government and if a collaborative strategy can be reached to ensure the safety and well-being of women in the state.
Source: Bengal CM Mamata writes to PM Modi again, seeks stringent central laws in rape and murder cases