J&K: Cabinet approves ordinance awarding death for rape of girl below 12 years

The latest developments comes days after the Union cabinet cleared the Ordinance for death penalty for those convicted of raping children below 12 years of age. President Ram Nath Kovind subsequently promulgated the criminal law amendment ordinance, paving the way for the stringent punishment.

Meanwhile, the cabinet also decided today that employees in every state government department will have at least 40 hours working in a week. Pointing out that state cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took a slew of administrative reforms to streamline functioning at various levels in the government, Finance Minister Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said there will be a minimum 40 hours working in a week in all the government departments. The digital management will be put in place for leave and salary will be made Aadhaar-based attendance, he added.

The cabinet also approved the transfer of 1,000 kanals of land to Islamic University of Science and Technology, 2,500 kanals to South Campus at Poonch, enhancing duty allowance of volunteer home guards from Rs 90 to Rs 225 per day, and Corporate Power Trading Company to buy power worth Rs 6,000 crore at competitive rates.

BJP ministers including Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh attended the cabinet meeting.

ALSO READ | Kathua chargesheet: In J-K child gangrape, rituals, a chilling invite and a police cover-up

An eight-year-old from Bakherwal community in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district was sedated, held captive, gangraped and then murdered in January this year, sparking outrage across the state with the government handing over the case to the Crime Branch following protests from the community.

The case took a communal turn in Kathua, where an outfit called Hindu Ekta Manch was set up by politicians in support of the accused. Among those who backed the Manch were Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, two BJP ministers in Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s Cabinet, who resigned subsequently.

(With ENS inputs)

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