Bhubaneswar: A heated debate on the rising incidents of rape of minor girls in Odisha rocked the Assembly on Friday.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Narasingha Mishra drew the Speaker’s attention on the pregnancy of a student of a state-run residential school in Bhubaneswar and the recent rape of a minor inside a bus in Puri and demanded a clarification from the minister concerned.
In his reply, SC and ST Welfare minister Jagannath Saraka, while referring to the pregnancy of the girl in the residential school, said Capital Hospital had only confirmed the pregnancy of one girl out of the four pregnancy test reports by the mobile health team of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK). “The victim had gone to her home during the summer vacation where she became pregnant after having a physical relationship with a youth. The police have arrested the youth,” the minister said.
Saraka also said besides this case, two school girls from Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanj districts were found pregnant while spending the summer vacation at their native places.
The CLP leader said the minor girl was raped inside a bus in Puri despite the deployment of about 10,000 policemen. “It seems that the state government has no concern towards the safety of minor girls. While seven minor girls are raped in Odisha every day, the state police are able to register only six cases in a year,” he pointed out.
Mishra further said that several cases were pending for disposal due to the large-scale vacancies in the post of government advocates.
Taking note of the concern of the CLP leader, Speaker Surya Narayan Patro directed Law Minister Pratap Jena to take necessary steps in this regard immediately.
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