GUWAHATI, March 27 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today directed setting up of a special women police battalion to check crimes against women and children.
The Chief Minister gave the direction to the Home Department while reviewing the human trafficking scenario in Assam today.
The Chief Minister also directed to constitute a high level committee designating Home Department as Nodal Agency to collect all relevant information related to human trafficking and to carry out anti-trafficking drives. Further, Sonowal also directed to intensify the surveillance and monitoring of human trafficking involving Labour and Social Welfare Department in the State.
The Chief Minister also stressed on the need to develop an anti-trafficking mechanism from grass-root level and asked the concerned departments to instruct the village headmen to prepare an extensive database of all human resources available in their respective villages. He also asked Home Department to ensure adequate monitoring of youths going outside Assam in search of job at village level, block development office level, circle office level and deputy commissioner level so that all information pertaining to allurement, etc., could be effectively tracked.
Adding that strict implementation of anti-trafficking laws could substantially reduce such cases, the Chief Minister also asked the Additional Chief Secretary (Labour) to prepare a draft act for giving exemplary punishment to those involved in such racket. While preparing the draft act, the Chief Minister directed to include scope for mandatory disclosure of information regarding details of house maid, validity of placement agencies etc. so that they can come handy at times.
Expressing grave concern over rising number of human trafficking cases, Chief Minister advocated a strong and effective law enforcement mechanism to control such cases adding that there is a need to amend certain portions of the existing act to make it more effective.
