NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Saturday announced a scheme for providing compensation and rehabilitation to the rape victims.

The scheme provides for financial relief ranging between Rs. 2 lakh and Rs. 5 lakh. The commission has also sought amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to make it more gender sensitive and punishment more stringent.

"While the draft relief package would be handed over to the Government next week, the proposed amendments to IPC to make it gender-friendly would be submitted in the next 10 days,'' NCW chairperson Girija Vyas told reporters here.

The scheme comes following a Supreme Court directive to the Government and NCW in the Delhi Domestic Working Women's Forun vs. the Union of India and others case judgment of 1993.

The first set of draft had been given to the Centre in 1996 but it was sent back to the commission with some observations.

It has now been re-drafted, Ms. Vyas said adding that such a thing had become necessary because of high incidence or rapes, particularly in the capital, that had resulted in a sense of insecurity among women.

She hoped that the recommendations would eventually be enacted as law.

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