Cabinet moves to save women from violence at home

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, following the Cabinet meeting, said the Bill would also include women who are or have been in a relationship with the abuser, where both parties have lived together in a shared household and are related by consanguinity, marriage or adoption.

Their relationship with family members, living together as a joint family, is also included. Even those women who are sisters, widows, mothers, single women or living with the abuser are entitled to legal protection under the proposed legislation, he said.

Harassment, by way of unlawful dowry demands made to the woman or her relatives, will also be covered by the Bill. It will fill the void in the existing legal framework, providing effective protection and remedy to women against domestic violence.

The Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code did not adequately protect the women against domestic violence, Mukherjee said.

The Bill also seeks to protect the rights of women to secure housing and to reside in her matrimonial home or shared household, whether or not she holds any title or rights.

This right will be secured by a residence order passed by a magistrate. The legislation empowers the magistrate to pass a protection order in favour of the victim to prevent the abuser from aiding or committing an act of domestic violence or any other specified act.

It also provides for appointment of protection officers and registration of Non-Governmental Organisations as service providers for providing assistance to the abused with respect to her medical examination, obtaining legal aid and safe shelter.

THE COMPLETE PACKAGE

Free rly passes: Rejected a railway panel’s proposal to discontinue issuance of free travel passes to employees, saying it was a ‘‘universally recognised privilege.’’

Pharmacy Bill: Approved the Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy Pharmacy Bill 2005, seeking to set up a central pharmacy council to regulate education and practice of pharmacists of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy

HAL-SNECMA JV: Okayed the setting up of a JV by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and French firm Snecma Moteurs—with 50:50 equity and initial investment of Rs 50 crore—for manufacture of spares and parts for civilian aircraft engines.

Development network: Approved the establishment of the Global Development Network (GDN) as an international organisation to address the problems of national and rural development.

Jute cess: Approved proposal to exempt jute units in the N-E from cess on finished products for a specified period