A confederation of women’s organisations has suggested a list of provisions in the proposed bill to regulate sale of acid in the State.
With two cases of girls being attacked with acid, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had announced that a bill to regulate the sale of acid would be brought during the current Assembly session. Representatives of All India Democratic Women’s Association, National Federation of Indian Women, Young Women’s Christian Association, YRG Care, MCCSS, Women’s Legal Aid Centre have called for regulation of bulk sale of acid.
Just as a prescription is mandatory for buying certain drugs, it is important to put in place a measure to sell acid only on production of a letter from relevant authorities. Such a letter should specify the applicant’s need for using acid. Besides, those who sell acid violating rules and regulations should be punished severely, the group has said in a statement.
In a press conference here, S.Suganthy of AIDWA said such a law should also focus on relief and rehabilitation of acid attack victims. The government should provide a solatium of Rs. 10 lakh to the family if the victim succumbs to injuries caused by acid attack.
An immediate grant of Rs. 1 lakh should be sanctioned to meet medical expenses after the attack. Besides, the government should take upon itself the responsibility of paying for the treatment expenses of the victim until she or he is ready to be discharged.
It would not be practical to expect the perpetrator of the attack to pay for the patient’s hospital expenses, she said, adding that the requirement may be retained, but the government could recover the amount from them.
Further, the victim’s rehabilitation, in terms of education, or a job must be provided for by the State.
