Hyderabad: The Telangana state Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to enact legislation to provide continuing medical care to victims of acid attacks.
The TS Cabinet which met here on Thursday took a decision to this effect.
A Cabinet subcommittee headed by home minister Nayini Narasimha Reddy has been appointed to study the proposed changes. The government would make changes in the existing Act to ensure that those convicted for acid attacks are sentenced from 10 years to life imprisonment. It was also proposed to give the fine collected from convicts to the family members of the victims.
Acid attacks are covered by Section 326 of the Indian Penal Code. The law proposes punishment of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life imprisonment for perpetrators and fine that could go up to Rs 10 lakh.
However, activists are demanding separate provisions in the Act to aid acid attack victims who have to live with not just the physical disfigurement but also psychological scars and social stigma. They demand a new law to tackle the crime of acid attacks, including easy sale of nitric and sulphuric acid.
“The existing law makes no mention of concrete solutions such as rehabilitation, insurance plan or long-term proper medical care for the victims. It has only made acid attack a criminal offence. A few lakhs in cash given by state governments and first aid will not be enough for the survivors of such attacks,” an official told this newspaper.
“They need a proper rehabilitation policy, such as specialised medical care for burns and elaborate plastic surgery. The government needs to bring in a separate law to incorporate all these provisions,” the official said.
