New Delhi: The National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma on Wednesday said that despite the ban imposed by the Supreme Court acid is still available for sale. Speaking at the ‘All India Nodal Officers Meeting on Acid Attack’, organized by NCW she also said that it must be ensured that there are strict provisions to stop the unregulated sale of acid.
“Despite the Supreme Court’s ban, the truth is that acid still remains available for sale. It must be ensured that strict provisions are kept in place to stop the unregulated sale of acid. No society can be considered civilized if it does not act to prevent such a heinous atrocity on women,” said Sharma in her inaugural address.
The meeting was held to deliberate, discuss, and share suggestions to resolve the issues regarding the sale and purchase of acid and other corrosive substances, compensation for survivors, and treatment and rehabilitation of survivors, among other topics.
It was attended by 23 Nodal Officers and representatives from States across India. It was chaired by Chairperson, NCW, Rekha Sharma, and also attended by Asholi Chalai, Joint Secretary of NCW, and Ashutosh Pande, Senior Research Officer of the Commission.
Some of the recommendations given during the meeting are; conducting an extensive campaign to raise awareness about gender sensitivity in schools, universities, and among law enforcement and other institutions; imposing strict regulations on the sale of acid with District Magistrates being the only authority to grant licenses, confirming stocks after 15 days, and requiring regular reporting on the sale of acid.
The group also recommended treating victims of petrol and diesel attacks in the same way as victims of acid attacks in terms of compensation. The panel also suggested providing financial support to private hospitals for free medical care for acid attack victims, reservation in government jobs for acid attack survivors and setting up a corpus fund for them through corporate social responsibility.
Calling on the Censor Board to restrict the glorification of revenge plots in movies, streamlining the compensation process for victims, and enabling more rehabilitation and employment opportunities for survivors of acid attacks were also some of the suggestions made during the meeting.
The Commission will be taking all the recommendations discussed during the meeting forward to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to help women affected by acid attacks and prevention of such cases.
