Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 15: Division Bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice N P Vasanthakumar and Justice Hasnain Masoodi today directed the State for constitution of SHRC within four weeks.
Earlier, during the course of hearing of the PIL, Advocate General Jahangir Iqbal Ganie informed the Court that the committee consisting Chief Minister, Speaker, Chairman Legislative Council, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and Legislative Council are scheduled to meet on September 17 to finalize the name of the Chairman for State Accountability Commission which will be immediately followed by the process for constitution of State Human Rights Commission (SHRC). He also placed on record a written communication from Additional Secretary to Government Law and Parliamentary Affairs in this connection.
The communication further adds that since the Government was facing difficulties in appointment of Chairperson and Members of the State Human Rights Commission in view of non-availability of eligible persons, therefore, the State Legislature amended the Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Human Rights Act, 1997 providing that in case there is no Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council, the leader of single largest group or party in the Opposition to the Government in the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council shall be deemed to be Member of the Committee.
The instant PIL has been filed by J&K Peoples Forum (NGO) through its General Secretary M M Shuja and it has been stated therein that the Commission is totally defunct since June 2014 and Government till date has not taken any step for appointment of any chairperson for the Commission which compelled the petitioner to knock the doors of the court.
“There is neither any Chairperson nor any member at present in the Commission except the supporting staff comprising Secretary, one Inspector General of Police who cannot deal any case”, says the petition of forum, adding “as such the non-seriousness of the State Government has forced them to invoke the jurisdiction of this court “.
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