Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 27: Though constitutional bodies are framed in Jammu and Kashmir with much hype, several of them are unable to perform their statutory duties and come up to the expectations of the common masses because of the lackadaisical response of the Government towards arming them with adequate manpower and other paraphernalia.
Some of these bodies are without members and others are craving for appointment of heads for the past quite some time and in the given circumstances they are finding it difficult to meet the objectives set by the Government. In the prevailing circumstances what could be the fate of those constitutional bodies whose heads and members will retire in the near future is a million dollar question.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the post of Chairman of State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) is lying vacant during the past nearly one year but till date no decision has been taken on the appointment of new incumbent. Justice Syed Bashir-ud-Din was the last Chairman of this Commission, which has been entrusted with the responsibility of looking into the human rights violations.
Besides the post of Chairman, one post of member is also lying vacant in this important constitutional body and at present the Commission is having only three members, sources said while disclosing that despite the fact that Commission cannot perform its constitutional duties without the Chairman, the Government has not framed any panel till date and continued to adopt lackadaisical approach towards the State Human Rights Commission.
Similar is the fate of Jammu and Kashmir State Commission for Backward Classes, which is having only Chairman and posts of all the four members are lying vacant for the past quite long time, sources informed.
“This Commission is virtually defunct due to the State Government’s failure to have the full quorum of this constitutional body in place”, sources regretted, adding “as per the J&K State Commission for Backward Classes Act, the Commission should have five members including Chairman but for the last more than a year and half the Commission is without members. In the absence of members the Commission is unable to take any decision for want of full quorum”.
As per the rules, the Commission recommends enlisting certain areas and downtrodden sections as backward to extend them certain concessions but in the absence of quorum its Chairman Justice A M Mir is finding it difficult to ensure smooth functioning of the Commission and meet the objectives with which it was constituted.
“This issue was raised by several legislators even during the last Budget Session of the State Legislature and the Speaker Legislative Assembly, Mohd Akbar Lone had directed the Government to ensure appointment of members at the earliest but cavalier approach towards this important constitutional body still continues”, sources said, adding “due to apathetic attitude of the Government towards this Commission several areas which deserve to be declared as backward are being deprived of benefits of concessions”.
In response to a question, sources said, “no panel for appointment of members of the Commission has been formulated till date and this indicates the indifferent attitude of the Government towards this constitutional body”.
“Given the response of the Government towards these two important Commissions, whether the Advisory Board on Public Safety Act would get new incumbent soon after the expiry of term of the present Chairman—Justice M L Koul is a million dollar question”, sources said while disclosing that term of two members of Advisory Board is also going to expire in near future.
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