Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 10: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Voice for Rights through its president Deepika Singh Rajawat seeking directions to the State for appointment of the Chairman and the Members of State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), Division Bench of State High Court comprising Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur today issued notice to Chief Secretary and Secretary Law Department for filing response within two weeks.
In the PIL, it was submitted that State Human Rights Commission is headless since October 2011 and the respondents have not initiated steps to appoint Chairman of one of the prestigious institutions of the Jammu and Kashmir.
“SHRC is not only sinking for the want of appointment of its Chairman but has also become defunct with all its members having retired from their services. The overall strength of SHRC, which looks into human rights violations in J&K, is five, including four Members and the Chairman. The absence of Chairperson and the Members of the Commission is creating hindrances in the normal functioning of the Commission”, the petitioner submitted.
“More than one thousand cases relating to rape offence, cross boarder firing, land mine victims, child labour and police harassment are pending before the Commission. The staff of the Commission is not able to cope up with work in absence of the Chairperson and Members”, the petitioner further submitted.
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