State fails to meet SC deadline on SHRC

SHILLONG, JUNE 30:  Meghalaya government failed to meet the Supreme Court deadline for setting up the State Human Right Commission (SHRC) by June 30 as the commission it constituted had flaws that need to be rectified.

On June 7, the Meghalaya government issued two notifications- the first government’s notification dealt with the constitution of the state human rights commission while the second one was about the appointment of the three-member committee.

Meghalaya government had appointed Dr Justice (retd) Astaf Hussain Saikia who had retired as chief justice of J&K high court and Sikkim high court as the chairperson of the state human rights commission. The other two members appointed by the state government include former Meghalaya DGP PJP Hanaman and a judge of the district court in Jowai.

However, the government notification relating to the appointment of the three members of the state commission was flawed. Sources said that Justice (retd) Saikia pointed out that the appointment of members has to be through a warrant signed by the Governor and not through the state government notification.

Another flawed the state government committed was appointing the Jowai district judge as its member. According to the Supreme Court directive a district judge who is appointed as the member of the committee should have served in the post for not less than seven years, but the state government overlook this criteria by appointing a district judge who had only three years of experience.

Now the state government will have to correct the two flaws before the state has its own human right commission as directed by the apex court.-By Our Reporter