Kolkata:
The West Bengal government has announced that the state will provide monetary compensation to women who are raped. In a decision taken on Thursday, it said that minors, who are raped, will be given compensation of Rs 30,000 and adult women will be given Rs 20,000.
The state cabinet approved a compensation scheme for victims of criminal cases and natural disasters.
Compensation will also be given in case of deaths and injury causing handicap.
The decision to provide compensation will be taken by committees headed by district magistrates, the government said.
The scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, enacted in 1989, provides monetary compensation to victims of rape. In Uttar Pradesh, a law is in existence since the 1970s, gives compensation of Rs 5,000 if the woman raped is from a scheduled caste or tribe.
A scheme similar to the one announced by the West Bengal government today was announced in Delhi in 2011.