Human rights panel gets Guv approval

SHILLONG: Governor V Shanmuganathan has finally given his seal of approval to Meghalaya State Human Rights Commission.
With the Governor giving the approval, the first Meghalaya State Human Rights Commission is officially formed by the state government in line with the Supreme Court guidelines.
After the Supreme Court had set June 30 deadline for the state to form the human rights panel, the political department had on June 7 notified the human rights body with retired Chief Justice Aftab H. Saikia as Chairman and former Meghalaya DGP P.J.P. Hanaman as a member.
However, there was a defect in the order of the political department as it was the Governor who had to give approval to the formation of the human rights panel.
Subsequently, the file related to the matter was sent to the Governor who on July 4 approved the constitution of Meghalaya State Human Rights Commission.
An official with the state political department said on Friday that notification from the Governor has already been sent to the Chairman Aftab H. Saikia and member Hanaman for necessary action.
Aftab H. Saikia, who retired as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir, earlier headed the Assam State Human Rights Commission as its Chairperson.
An official source said that while two members and a chairperson constitute the human rights panel, with the appointment of a chairperson and a member, the commission can start functioning.
Earlier, the State government had named former judge of the lower court, M.B. Challam as another member of the Human Rights Commission, but  Challam was informed later that she would not be eligible since she had served as the District and Sessions Judge only for four years, while the criteria is seven years.
It was almost three years ago on August 13, 2013 that the state cabinet gave its nod to the formation of the human rights body. Subsequently in March, 2014, the Assembly passed the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (Salaries and Allowances and other Terms and Conditions of Service of the Members) Rules, 2014.