Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a major development, Madhya Pradesh government has announced plans to provide assistance and support to the pregnant minor rape victims and their children. The proposal was passed in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
As per the proposal, the plan would be supported by the Nirbhaya Fund. Under the "Mission Vatsalya" scheme, the victim will receive ₹4,000 per month for each child until she turns 23 or gains employment.
Eligibility for the Scheme
Only victims who become pregnant as a result of rape will be able to avail this scheme. As per the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) under Section 6, the scheme will only apply in cases of aggravated penetrative sexual assault. The victim must provide an FIR copy to be eligible for the scheme.
The child to be presented to Child Welfare Committee
Under Section 27 of the Juvenile Justice Act, the child of a rape victim will be presented to the Child Welfare Committee. For this, a police officer, a special juvenile police unit, a child welfare police officer, an officer from the District Child Protection Unit, or an inspector appointed under labour laws are eligible.
₹10 to be allocated to each district
As per CM Mohan Yadav, the scheme will be implemented across all 55 districts of the state under Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 (amended 2019). The initiative is titled "Scheme for Care and Support to Victims under Section 4 & 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012."
An amount of ₹10 lakh will be allocated to each district from the Nirbhaya Fund. This money will be used for victim assistance with the approval of the district collector.
