Shillong, Aug 8: The state government has assured steps to address crime against women, drug abuse and other issues concerning women in the state.
The assurance was given to the chairperson of the commission Vijaya Rahatkar and member Delina Khongdup who visited the state and met the Chief Secretary DP Wahlang , DGP Idashisha Nongrang, police officials and others.
Chief Secretary DP Wahlang told reporters that the state government has taken steps to improve the conviction rate in crimes against women .
Wahlang said the government has established a separate Directorate of Prosecution, which will handle prosecution cases.
“We have taken adequate steps from the state government by forming a separate Directorate of Prosecution this year to handle the prosecution cases and public prosecutors will be appointed.
The government aims to improve the conviction rate by separating the investigation and prosecution processes.
The chief secretary said the establishment of fast track and special courts depends on the specific laws and statutes. Wherever required, the government has notified fast track courts to expedite the trial process.
Wahlang attributed the reported cases of crimes against women to the existing societal issues rather than a sudden spike. He said despite being a matrilineal society, crimes against women still occur, but there is no evidence of a recent surge.
“It is not that there is a sudden spike in crimes against women what I mention is that being matrilineal it should ideally be a situation where we don’t have much crime but crime is there against women, there are some cases but it is not that there is a spike,” he said.
Regarding the visit of the NCW chairperson, Wahlang said a meeting was held which focused on various issues affecting women in the state, including drug abuse and domestic violence.
The NCW chairperson expressed concern over the increasing cases of drug abuse and crimes against women in Meghalaya.
The chief secretary has briefed the NCW chairperson about the state’s initiatives, including the One Stop Centre – a dedicated center for women affected by domestic violence, providing support and care – and the DREAM project which is aimed at eliminating drug abuse and provide support to those affected.
Wahlang said the NCW chairperson was also informed about the steps taken by the police to address the issue of drug abuse and domestic violence.
The chairperson expressed some concerns but was generally satisfied with the state government’s response, he said.
The NCW chairperson will revisit Meghalaya in six months to reassess the progress made by the state government in addressing these issues.
