K'taka govt to enhance safety measures for women doctors: Medical edu Min. Sharan Prakash Patil
Bengaluru, Aug 27: In the wake of growing concerns over the safety of women doctors, Karnataka Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development Dr Sharan Prakash Patil on Tuesday said the government will enhance security measures by adding more streetlights, CCTV cameras and trained security personnel at all medical colleges, super-specialty hospitals and hostels across the state.
The announcement came after he convened a crucial meeting with officials and key stakeholders at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute here where the discussions focused on bolstering security across medical institutions, following national outrage over the recent rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata.
"We are fully committed to ensuring the safety of women doctors. Based on the feedback from today's meeting, we will implement additional security measures, including more streetlights, CCTV cameras and trained security personnel at all medical colleges, super-specialty hospitals and hostels. We are also prioritising safety in women’s restrooms," he told reporters after the meeting.
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He further assured that these measures will be in line with guidelines set by the central government and the Supreme Court. Additionally, Patil highlighted the importance of internal complaints committees established under the PoSH Act (Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act), stressing that these bodies will rigorously address any grievances brought forward by women in the medical field.
Patil issued a stern warning against perpetrators of violence and sexual assault, stating that the government would take stringent action against people committing such offences.
"We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to protect our medical professionals, particularly women," he said.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
