No complaint yet in Nagpur distt under Anti-Black Magic Act

No complaint yet in Nagpur distt under Anti-Black Magic Act

NAGPUR district has not seen a single case so far under the Vnti Black Magic Act that came into being last year. Now, the Government has constituted Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee (PIMC) to createawareness about the Act and its provisions.

Addressinga press conference at his office here the other day, Panjabrao Wankhade, Additional Collector and Chairman of District-level PIMC, said that the State Government had defined the tasks of PIMC. As per the mandate, PIMC at district level was expected to organise awareness programmes/workshops etc at district, tehsil, and village levels. Initially, the programmes arc being organised at district level.

The Government had allocated Rs I crore at State level for the purpose of creating awareness among people.Replying to a question, Wankhade said that the PIMC waseonstitutcdbut the non-official members were yet to be appointed. Asked why no complaint was registered under the Anti-Black Magic Act despite some complaints lodged against various religious programmes, he said that PIMC was empowered to create awareness and remaining part was the responsibility of Police Department. As per the provisions, Police Inspector at each policestation had lobedes-ignated as Vigilance Officer, he added. State Government enacted Anti-Black Magic Act after the murder of anti-superstition activist Or Narendra Dabholkar last year.

Mangesh Wankhade, Assistant Commissioner, Social justice Department, and Member Secretary of District-level PIMC; Chh-aya Sawarkar, Stale-level PIMC Member; and AnilThakre, District Information Officer also were present in the press conference.

Posted in: News 2014