Delhi CM declares setting up of Delhi human rights panel

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that the State Government had initiated the process to set up the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC).“The home department has initiated the proposal to set up the SHRC and forwarded it to the Chief Minister’s Office,” Kejriwal informed the Assembly.

Replying to a discussion in the House on the condition of women safety in the national Capital, the Chief Minister told the members that the Supreme Court of India had last month expressed concern over the fact that there was no State Human Rights Commission in Delhi since last 22 years.

Kejriwal said in view of the Supreme Court directions and also the fact that Delhi has the second highest number of human rights violations in the country, the State Government has already initiated the process for setting-up the State Human Rights Commission.It may be noted that the Supreme Court, had on July 24 observed that successive Governments had simply not bothered to set up the SHRC even 22 years after Parliament enacted the Protection of Human Rights Act in 1993.

“The NHRC Curtain Raiser published on its 20th Foundation Day shows that of a total number of 94,985 fresh cases registered in the NHRC, the largest number of cases (46,187) came from the State of Uttar Pradesh followed by Delhi, which reported 7,988 cases, and Haryana, which reported 6,921 cases,” the Supreme Court had noted on July 24.