The Supreme Court today (January 20, 2020) has issued a notice to the Central Government on a plea filed by a law student for the implementation of the Justice JS Verma Committee Report recommendations such as speedy justice, safety for women workplace & proper utilisation of Nirbhaya fund.
In the year 2012, the traumatic Nirbhaya rape and murder incident had brought up major issues with respect to women safety & well-being. The scale of socio-political developments that ejected in the wake of the abhorrent incidents shook the Indian masses to their core.
The then UPA government had a hard time controlling the public outrage. Consequently, the administration hurriedly framed a committee headed by Justice J.S. Verma which suggested stricter laws and measures.
The administration additionally set up a unique fund for women safety, called the Nirbhaya Fund. In accordance with the proposals of the Justice J.S. Verma board of trustees, the Central government frequently granted cash to different ventures concerned with women safety.
The BJP Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the motto ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ (Save the girl child, educate the girl child) after coming into power following the NDA Government. It was imperative to see if the Nirbhaya fund was being spent on sparing the girl child, on their assurance just as strengthening, or not.
According to a written reply dated August 3, 2018 by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Vijendra Kumar, Rs. 979.70 crore have been released under the Nirbhaya Fund till now. Of this, Rs. 825 crores have been allocated for five major projects. It is pertinent to mention that the government had announced Rs. 3,600 crore as corpus money for the fund.
Author: Swetalana Rout
