“Failed to Send Technical Report with Anti-Rape Bill”: WB Governor Slams Mamata Banerjee Govt

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 6th Sept. West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has slammed the Mamata Banerjee administration for failing to send a necessary technical report along with the recently passed Aparajita Bill, which seeks his assent.

According to Raj Bhavan officials, this oversight is part of a troubling pattern where the state government does not provide required documentation and then blames the governor’s office for delays.

“The governor expressed disappointment that the technical report was not attached to the Aparajita Bill. It is mandatory for the state government to submit this report before the governor can decide on granting assent,” the official told PTI. This is not the first instance of such procedural issues, with previous complaints about the government withholding technical reports.

Additionally, the governor criticized the state government for inadequate preparation on critical matters, noting that the Aparajita Bill appears to be similar to legislation passed in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Arunachal Pradesh. Bose suggested that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s threats of a dharna might be a strategy to mislead the public, given that similar Bills are pending with the President of India.

The West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed the ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024’ on September 3. The Bill proposes capital punishment for rape convicts if their actions lead to the victim’s death or permanent vegetative state, and life imprisonment without parole for other cases.

It also aims to expedite investigations, requiring completion within 21 days of the initial report, and establishing a special task force led by women officers.