PANJIM: Goa is expected to soon get two fast-track courts for speedy trial of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Women and Child Development Minister Vishwajit Rane said the two courts will hold speedy trials of the child sexual assault cases. It is learnt that one each court will be set up in North and South Districts.
Earlier on Wednesday, the minister met Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani in New Delhi requesting to sanction the courts for speedy trials of POCSO cases in both the districts.
Rane discussed the status of various Central and State schemes, interventions to reduce infant mortality rates and ongoing Rashtriya Poshan Maah in Goa.
In July, the Ministry of Women and Child Development had announced granting approval to a proposal of setting up 1,023 fast track courts across the country in a year. As many as 18 States are on board to set up fast track courts under POCSO Act, including Maharashtra, Tripura, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Haryana.
Moreover, the ministry had stated that budget for building these courts is Rs 700 crore and funds would be made available through the Nirbhaya Fund of which Rs 474 crore would be given by the Centre while the remaining amount to be borne by the States concerned.
