Shillong, Mar 16: Governor Ganga Prasad said that capacity and competence building programmes have been organized to equip investigating officers (IOs) for professional handling of cases on crimes against women and children in the state.
Delivering his address on the inaugural day of the 18-day budget session in the State Assembly on Friday, Ganga said workshops and programmes on Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act & Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act and gender sensitization were conducted for IOs and cadre course personnel.
Awareness campaigns have also been conducted by the district superintendents of police on laws relating to crime against women and children.
He informed that special juvenile police units have been set up in all the district headquarters headed by the SPs of the concerned districts adding special police officers under the provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 have been notified.
“The Special SP, CID has been notified as the nodal officer on trafficking of women and children and all SPs in the districts have been notified as nodal officers for the purpose in their respective district,†he said.
Ganga also informed the anti-human trafficking unit has been set up in the districts of East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Jaintia Hills and West Garo Hills while the state police website regularly posts useful safety tips for women.
Stating that the 181 women helpline is functional in the state with its head office at the directorate of social welfare, Meghalaya, he said one stop crises centre has been set up at the Ganesh Das Hospital for victims of sexual assault.
Further highlighting on the steps taken on this regard, the governor said the government has also taken steps to strengthen the Forensic Science Laboratory and funds have been sanctioned for the procurement of equipment required for the DNA Lab.
To address crime in society and to bring the police closer to the people, he said the government has created 18 new police stations.
“To ensure supervision of crime at close quarters in particular crime against women and children four post of sub-divisional police officers for newly created civil sub-divisions have been sanctioned and officers have been put in place,†Ganga said.
Meanwhile, the governor said to ensure expeditious and fair trial of cases, the judiciary has been separated from the executive in seven districts.
The permanent court building at Nongstoin has been inaugurated and construction of the permanent court buildings at Tura and Williamnagar is in the final stage of completion, he said.
He said construction of permanent court buildings and residential quarters for judicial officers at Mairang, Amlarem, Sohra, Markyrwat and Ampati has started while in respect of Jowai, land will be finalised shortly.
Ganga informed that the foundation stone for the Meghalaya Judicial Academy has been also laid to build permanent infrastructure and training facilities for imparting training and other functions by the Academy.