Search for State rights panel head on

SHILLONG: Though the neighbouring Tripura has formed the Human Rights Commission following the Supreme Court’s  order with the appointment of former Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh, Kalyanjyoti Sengupta as its chairman, Meghalaya is still lagging behind as the government is still searching for the persons who can head  the State Human Rights Commission.
It was on August 13, 2013 that the state cabinet formed the Meghalaya State Human Rights Commission and later in March last year, the Government tabled the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (Salaries and Allowances and other Terms and Conditions of Service of the Members) Rules, 2014.
Other than these developments, even after two years, the Government is yet to get a retired Chief Justice to head the state human rights panel.
Though earlier the government appointed former judge of the lower court M.B. Challam and former Meghalaya DGP P.J.P. Hanaman as two members of the human rights panel, the political department has written to Challam that she would not be eligible as she had served as the District and Sessions Judge only for four years, whereas the criteria is seven years.
An official source said on Friday that with this development, the law department has been asked to find out another suitable person to be appointed as member of the rights panel.
Moreover, the official added that the reason behind delay in making the rights panel functional was that the Government was not getting any retired Chief Justice or Judge of the Supreme Court  to head the panel.
The state government had earlier written to several persons including former Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya, T. Meena Kumari, and retired Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice M.K. Sharma, to be the Chairperson of the panel, but in vain as they refused to accept the post.