Srinagar
Welcoming ordinance passed by state cabinet today ensuring death punishment for those found guilty in sexual assault on minors, an independent lawmaker and MLA Langate Er Rasheed on Tuesday said that the move is a right step in the right direction, though should have been taken much earlier.
The spokesman said that while interacting with people at various places in Kupwara today, Er Rasheed said it would have been more appropriate had the law been passed and implemented when Tabindah Gani rape and murder incident took place in 2006. It is unfortunate that the government only wakes up after some heinous crime takes place and state government often follows New Delhi and the track record proves that state government has never dared to bring an ordinance or pass a law of some serious significance and has preferred often to wait for New Delhi’s nodes over such sensitive issues.
Rasheed added that more than passing the laws it is important to ensure their time-bound implementation. He sought similar hard laws to deal with corruption and nepotism and appealed the government to implement Forest Rights Act.
He said that while state government has always been very keen and eager to implement all those laws passed by central government in one form or the other from time to time, but one fails to understand why doesn’t it pass law or bring an ordinance on the pattern of Forest Rights Act of 2006 passed by Central government to protect the rights of nomads and those living within vicinity of forests. It is need of the hour to pass an act as soon as possible to bring state laws at par with centre’s Forest Rights Act Of 2006.
Rasheed appealed the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to rise to the occasion and pass a law in the Assembly or bring an ordinance to protect the rights of nomads and other related inhabitants at the pattern of Forest Rights Act 2006.
