Centre to set up anti-rape cells for all districts

New Delhi: Calling the gangrape and murder of two girls in Badaun a “terrible” case and Uttar Pradesh government “insensitive”, Union women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi on Monday said the Centre would set up rape crisis centres in all districts of the country by year-end.

“Insensitive, they are. I say this government should go. But even if a new government comes, till the time we don’t provide ample protection to women, what will it do?” Mrs Gandhi said when asked if she thought that recurrence of crimes against women in UP reflected insensitivity on the part of the state government.

She said the incident in Badaun is a “terrible, terrible case” which is symptomatic of what is happening all over the country. The Union minister said such incidents occurred because very few support services were available to victims and added that her ministry had taken such crimes “very seriously”.

“It was on my priority to establish rape crisis centres. These centres would be serviced by policemen, lawyers, doctors. There would be ambulance and they will go hand in hand with a national helpline,” she said.

The WCD minister said the government would start at least one such centre in each of the districts and nearly Rs 500 crore could be allocated for the purpose.