DCW chief writes to Modi, demands rapists be hanged within 6 months of conviction
New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that rapists be hanged within six months of their conviction.
Stressing that implementation of laws is important, she demanded that police resources be increased and their accountability fixed.
"Merely making the law is not enough, it will also have to be implemented. You are requested to immediately implement the law of death sentence for all rapists in six months and all the necessary mechanisms should be started for this," she said.
Citing the incidents of the gangrape and murder of a Hyderabad veterinarian and the brutal rape of a six-year-old girl in Rajasthan, she said, "Daughters are falling prey to such heinous crimes in every corner of the country.
"These two daughters are not with us, but their screams are not letting us sit in peace. The soul trembles even thinking how much pain they must have suffered."
In the last three years, the DCW has heard 55,000 cases, attended 2.15 lakh calls on 181 helpline, conducted 75,000 ground visits, assisted victims in 33,000 court cases, held 11,000 counselling sessions and set over 200 counselling centres, she said.
"DCW is the only women's commission in the country which works on Sundays and Saturdays and day and night as well. But even after doing so, if the daughters are raped, then it all seems meaningless," she said.
Maliwal was supposed to start a hunger strike on Tuesday morning to press for her demands but she claimed police did not allow her to do so. Police said they were waiting for her to send details of the protest.
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Chhattisgarh govt enforces austerity measures, restricts foreign travel and cuts convoy vehicles
Raipur (PTI): The Chhattisgarh government on Saturday rolled out a set of austerity measures, including restricted use of convoy vehicles for the chief minister, ministers and heads of state-run bodies, besides curbs on foreign travel at government expense.
The state has decided to implement the cost-saving steps with immediate effect to ensure efficient management of financial resources and discipline in public spending, said a directive issued by Finance Secretary Rohit Yadav.
The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The order said that only essential vehicles should be used in the convoys of the CM, ministers and office-bearers of corporations, boards and commissions, while ensuring restrained use of other government resources.
It also directed departments to take steps for a phased conversion of all official vehicles into electric vehicles in order to promote the use of EVs.
As part of fuel-saving measures, expenditure on petrol and diesel for government vehicles should be kept to a minimum, the directive said.
Vehicle pooling arrangements should also be implemented for officials of departments travelling to the same destination, it added.
The order further stated that foreign travel of government employees at state expenses will be completely prohibited except under extremely unavoidable circumstances. In such cases, prior approval of the CM will be mandatory.
To reduce administrative expenditure, departments have been instructed to hold physical meetings preferably only once a month and encourage virtual and online meetings. Regular departmental review meetings should compulsorily be conducted through video conferencing, it said.
The government also stressed the need for energy conservation in its offices, directing that all electrical equipment, including lights, fans, air-conditioners and computers, must be switched off after office hours.
The directive will remain effective till September 30 this year.
Amid the war involving the US, Israel and Iran, Modi has suggested reducing petrol and diesel consumption, using metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased use of EVs, utilising railway services for parcel movement and working from home to conserve foreign exchange.
