Andhra cabinet approves Disha Act providing for harsher punishments for crimes against women

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], Dec 12 (ANI): The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday under Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy approved the enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act also known as the Disha Act that provides for harsher punishments, including death sentence, to those guilty of heinous crimes against women.
As announced earlier in the assembly by Chief Minister, in the presence of adequate conclusive evidence in cases of crime against women such as rape, acid attacks among others the judgment must be pronounced within 21 days and trial must be completed in 14 days.
The cabinet also approved the Andhra Pradesh Special Court for Specified Offences against Women and Children Act 2019, which allows the establishment of special courts in each district to address crimes against women and children.
The bill allows taking actions under Indian Penal Code section 354 (E) against those who upload posts in social media that degrades women's reputation. For the same, first time offenders would be punished with two years imprisonment, second-time offenders with four years of imprisonment. Actions would be taken under IPC 354 (F) on those who are involved in sexual assault on children.
The offenders in such cases will be served with the punishment of 10 to 14 years and in case of severity in the committed crime, the punishment would be extended from 14 years to lifetime imprisonment. The cabinet has approved to extend the imprisonment for such crimes under POCSO Act.
Some other major decisions taken by the cabinet include to set up a new department to bring village and ward volunteers, secretariats under this department. This is to monitor and strengthen the secretariat system.
The state cabinet has also approved for the setting up of Public Transport Department for merging APSRTC in the government and the department will be included under Transportation, Roads and Buildings, National Highways Department.
For the 51,488 employees in APSRTC, the cabinet has decided to recruit those employees in the Public Transport Department. The Cabinet also approved for the continuation of existing outsourcing employee services in RTC. It has further decided to withdraw cases registered in Thuni incident, Kapu protest, and Bhogapuram land collection.
The cabinet approved the YSR Pension guidelines. The government has revised the existing guidelines YSR Pension. It also approved for Andhra Pradesh Millet Board Act 2019 and decided for the establishment of a board to increase the cultivation of cereals in drought and rainfall areas. The Cabinet also decided to draft a bill for Andhra Pradesh Pulses Board Act, 2019.
The Cabinet approved Andhra Pradesh tax on profession, trade, callings and employment amendment bill-2019.
The Cabinet approved to make Telugu as a mandatory subject in all the schools in the state. Medium of Instruction should be English for 1-6 class students from the next academic year. (ANI)