Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday approved enactment of Andhra Pradesh Disha Act, Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2019 and Andhra Pradesh Special Court for Specified Offences against Women and Children Act, 2019.
The draft Bills will be tabled in the Legislative Assembly during the ongoing session. The Bill pronounces capital punishment to rape culprits if found with conclusive evidence.
As announced earlier in the Assembly, in case of conclusive evidences in crimes against women such as rape, which can attract capital punishment, the new law will render justice in 21 days after 14-day investigation.
The special courts will be set up to address crimes against women and children. The bill also allows action under Indian Penal Code Section 354 (E) against those who upload posts on social media that degrade women. First-time offenders would be punished with two years imprisonment, while it would be four years jail for second time offenders.
Action would be taken under Section 354 (F) on those involved in sexual assaults against children. The offenders in such cases will be served with the punishment of 10 to 14 years jail and in case of severity in the crime committed, it would be lifetime imprisonment. The Cabinet has approved to extend imprisonment for such crimes under POCSO Act.
Among the other decisions, the Cabinet decided to set up a new department to bring village and ward volunteers and secretariats under this department. This is to monitor and strengthen the secretariat system.
It also approved setting up of a public transport department for merging APSRTC with the government and the department will be included under the transportation, roads and buildings, national highways department. For the 51,488 employees in APSRTC, the Cabinet has decided to recruit those employees in the new department. The Cabinet also approved continuation of existing outsourcing employee services in RTC.
