Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government has not taken any steps to ensure the safety of female patients, despite cases of crimes against women being reported in several isolation centres’ in the state during the coronavirus crisis. The government has only made a hollow promise to issuing guidelines for women's safety. The government has forgotten about the safety of women, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state Vice-President Chitra Wagh in Mumbai recently.
She was speaking at a press conference held at the BJP state office. State Chief Spokesperson Keshav Upadhye, State Vice President Madhavi Naik and Mahila Morcha's Deepali Mokashi were present on the occasion.
Wagh said, “The Chief Minister had announced the setting up of a three-member committee following the incident being reported from the segregation centre in Panvel. However, no such committee has been set up yet. After the incident in Panvel, similar shocking incidents took place at segregation centres at Pune, Chandrapur, Amravati and Kolhapur. The behaviour of the culprits in the Badnera case in Amravati had already been reported by the women in the staff but it was still ignored. After all these incidents, the state government does not seem to be taking any concrete steps. Assurance was given that rules for women's safety would be made soon, but that promise has not been fulfilled yet.”
She demanded, “The male and female patients should be kept separate in the segregation centre, the head of the centre should inform the local administration about the patients at the centre, police protection should be provided to the women in the segregation centre and PPE kits should be given to the police.”
“After an attempt was made to burn a woman alive in Hinganghat in February, the government had announced that the orders regarding legal guidelines to this effect will be issued soon, but the government seems to be misleading the people as the number of atrocities against women is increasing day by day. The government should now take strict steps for women's safety not only through speeches but also through action,” she concluded.
