Kakinada MP Vanga Geetha urges Centre to clear Disha Bill

Kakinada: Kakinada MP Vanga Geethaurged Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju to give necessary instructions for the approval of Disha Bill prepared by the State government. She submitted a memorandum to the Minister in New Delhi on Monday.

The MP said that she already appealed to the Union Ministry for Home Affairs to give approval for the bill. The Minister of State for Home Affairs has informed that the government of Andhra Pradesh had forwarded two bills like Andhra Pradesh Disha Bill – Criminal Law (Andhra Pradesh Amendment) Bill 2019, and The Andhra Pradesh Disha (Andhra Pradesh Special Courts for Specified Offences against Women and Children) Bill, 2020 for consideration and assent of President of India under Article 201 of the Constitution of India.

The Ministry said that the Disha Bill – Criminal Law (Andhra Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2019 was received in MHA on January 16, 2020. The bill was circulated to nodal union ministries and departments concerned for their comments. Certain clarifications have been sought from the government of Andhra Pradesh which are awaited.

She said that the State government had launched Disha App, an emergency SOS app for women in distress as an emergency response system to offences against women and children. She said that Disha Forensic Labs are being set up in Mangalagiri, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam and Women Help Desks have been set up in 700 police stations in the State.