New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday used "shame" and "unfortunate" to describe the attack on a 15-year-old girl in Odisha, underscoring the need to empower and provide a safe haven for women especially in rural areas.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said, "We need suggestions from everyone on what concrete steps can be taken to empower the school girls, home makers, children in rural areas, who are the most vulnerable and the voiceless people. Our directions should have some impact and visible imprint." Some short-term and long-term directions need to be issued for immediate and for future and so that women living in taluka level could be made aware and empowered, it added.

The bench said para legal volunteers, particularly women could be trained and appointed at the taluka level and even help of Anganwadi workers could be taken to make the women aware of their rights.

Senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, appearing for the petitioner Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association, said a couple of days ago, the minor was burnt and similar incidents took place in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

"How long will this go on? This court needs to pass some directions for the safety of women," Pawani said.

The bench said, "We are in shame and it is unfortunate that these incidents are still taking place. This is not adversarial litigation. We need suggestions from the centre and all the parties." Justice Kant said the registry has not put the affidavit of the Centre on record and posted the matter next week.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, said the Centre gave details of steps and said CCTV cameras and face scan systems would be installed in public places to identify sexual offenders and timely actions.

She said one-stop centres were now functioning in every district which would be helpful for the women in distress.

The bench, however, said while one-stop centre was good, it needed to go to the taluka level.

On December 16, last year, the top court agreed to examine a plea seeking directions to frame pan-India guidelines for a safe environment for women, children and transpersons.

The PIL said sexual crimes against women, girls and infants, reported across the country continued in different states.

"The recent Kolkata gangrape of young lady trainee doctor is only one amongst the many which has highlighted the deep-rooted ineptness, red-tapism, bureaucratic cowardice by the law enforcement agencies, political hooliganism, and the brutal, nefarious and grisly state of affairs concerning the safety of women in India,” it said.

The petitioner sought the court to invoke the doctrine of parens patriae to safeguard the fundamental rights of women, children and the third gender encompassing their right to safety, a secured workplace, adequate sanitation, personal dignity, bodily integrity, and safe environment. PTI MNL MNL AMK AMK

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