Rape victims in Meghalaya are yet to come forward to claim monetary assistance from the government despite reports of sexual violence against women, Social Welfare minister J A Lyngdoh told the Assembly today.
Replying to a query in this regard, Lyngdoh said till date no victim in the state has come forward to avail of the Centrally sponsored scheme, 'Financial Assistance and Support Services to Victims of Rape'.
He said the government was “trying hard”, in collaboration with the State Women’s Commission, to sensitize rape victims on the availability of assistance for them.
District Level Board Committees with one woman member have been set up throughout the state to enable rape victims to easily approach them, the minister said adding that awareness campaign was on.
Contending that the government has not done enough to reach out to the victims, Opposition NCP Mla James K Sangma said “many rape cases” were “going on” in the state, especially in the rural areas, in which “victims do not come out in the open.”
James said the fact that none of the victims have so far come forward to avail of state assistance was reflective of the fact that there was “something wrong with the system”.
The legislator from West Garo Hills district suggested that the government directly approach rape victims and voluntarily provide assistance.
“Rape victims go through a lot of trauma and so do not come forward to seek assistance due to the stigma attached," James said. (More)
The Minister assured that the Social Welfare department would “go all out” with the programme to sensitize people on this matter even as he informed the House that under the available scheme, a rape victim was entitled to Rs 3 lakh as support for shelter, legal and medical aid, counseling and also to “restore them to position of dignity”.
The Minister further said that in the case of death of rape victims, there were provisions for providing Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin if the victim was not earning and Rs 2 lakh to the family of a victim who was earning.
The minister said the government has constituted State Criminal Injuries Relief and Rehabilitation Board with principal secretary/commissioner and secretary as chairman and director of social welfare as member-secretary.
District Criminal Injuries Relief and Rehabilitation Boards have also been constituted with deputy commissioners as chairpersons and district social welfare officers as member secretaries, he said.
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