Bhubaneswar: In line with an Orissa High Court recommendation, the Odisha government has approved the setting up of six new additional district and sessions courts in the state.
The six courts will come up in Cuttack, Bhadrak, Nilagiri (Balasore), Udala (Mayurbhanj), Pattamundai (Kendrapara) and Khariar (Nuapada).
Besides, the state government has informed the Supreme Court about the construction of 24 POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offence) courts in the state.
Taking note of the rise in sexual harassment of minor children in the country, a three-member division bench of the Supreme Court had directed the Centre and state governments to set up POCSO courts in districts with large number of such cases.
The apex court had also directed Registrar SS Rathi to submit a report on the number of POCSO cases registered in the country so far.
Referring to Odisha, the Registrar had said that only 12 per cent of the cases have been disposed of by the courts so far.
