By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed its inability to issue any diktat to the State Government for constituting of the State Human Rights Commission.
“We can only request the State Government to constitute the SHRC,” NHRC chairman Justice (retd) KG Balakrishnan told reporters after conducting a hearing on a total number of nine cases relating to human rights violation in the State here on Wednesday.
While maintaining that the Commission cannot go beyond the provisions of the law while pursuing with the State Government on the constitution of the SHRC, Balakrishnan said that the Commission can take up the matter as per the laid down rules which has been mandated to the Commission.
He also clarified that the NHRC does not enjoy the powers of the Supreme Court to issue orders which would be binding on the State Government.
Meanwhile, NHRC member BC Patel said that the Commission continues to receive complaints on cases of human rights violation even if there is no SHRC in the State.
“I do not think there is much difference even if the SHRC is in place since the Commission continues to receive complaints on human rights violation,” Patel said while adding that besides Meghalaya, there are other states in the country which are yet to constitute the SHRC.