In a bid to provide major relief to victims of acid attacks in the country, the Centre has directed all central government hospitals and establishments to treat the victims free of cost. It has also asked all states to amend section 6 of the Poison Act to make the offences committed under the Act cognizable and non-bailable.
Exclusive beds will need to be earmarked for acid attack patients at the Apex State Tertiary Hospitals and private hospitals -which have availed the facility of concessional land -for the treatment of acid attack victims. The fresh directions have been given to state governments in a detailed letter written by the Union home ministry to chief secretaries of all states and UTs on Friday.
Now on, all schools, colleges, research labs and government departments and the departments of Public Sector undertakings will also need to file details with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of the storage and usage of acid. The SDM can impose a fine of `50,000 on the seller for any undeclared stock.
“A person shall be made accountable for the possession and safe keeping of acid in their premises. The acid shall be stored under the supervision of this person and there shall be compulsory checking of the students and personnel leaving the laboratories as well as place of storage where acid is used,” the MHA has said.
Recently, on the directions of the Supreme Court, the MHA had also formulated Draft Model Poison Rules 2013 which have been communicated to the states which need to be adopted within three months. The government has identified list of ‘’acids’’ as those which have a pH of 0-2 and are strongly acidic and those which are strongly alkaline between pH of 11.5 to 14 and have the ability to cause dermal corrosion. “There are other poisons which are not corrosive but are nevertheless toxic to life.”
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BJP, JD-U blame game worsens
ANAND S.T. DAS
PATNA, AUG. 31
Keen to corner Bihar’s ruling JD(U) on its perceived pro-Muslim stance, the Opposition BJP on Saturday rejected the DGP’s explanation about the alleged disinterest of the state police in taking arrested IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal on remand and questioned chief minister Nitish Kumar’s silence on the matter.
The war of words between leaders of the two former allies worsened for the second consecutive day after the terror mastermind’s arrest on Thursday on the Indo-Nepal border. The BJP, apparently ready to paint the JD(U) as soft and opportunistic on the issue of Islamic terror, insinuated that the state police acted at the behest of their political masters as they chose not to take Bhatkal on remand for detailed interrogation on his role in July’s Bodh Gaya blasts and his alleged recruitment network in north Bihar. DGP Abhayanand said that Bihar police officials interrogate Bhatkal.