State tells HC it will meet SHRC's needs

During the hearing of a PIL by the South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), the government counsel Devdas submitted before the High Court the minutes of the meeting dated September 30, 2011, which was chaired by the Chief Secretary.

When SHRC Secretary Javidh Pasha proposed to create 491 posts in different cadres as required for the functioning of the Commission and to frame necessary cadre and recruitment rules as recommended at the meeting of the committee of SHRCs constituted by NHRC on March 22, 2011, the chief secretary directed the law secretary to take suitable action in this regard.

When the committee was informed about the defects in pay, allowance and other facilities for the chairman and members of KSHRC, the committee said the file was with the Finance department for its concurrence. On providing office space for the Commission, it was decided that the entire fifth floor in MS Building will be allotted for the Commission.

The Commission is presently run from a small 4,500-sq-feet space as against the demanded 20,000 sq ft area.

On the allocation of grants to the SHRC, the State has submitted that a sum of Rs 2.25 crore has been allocated in the budget, an additional sum of Rs 36.93 lakh and another sum of Rs 50 lakh has been granted.

The Finance department has been requested to allocate necessary additional grants. The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice A S Bopanna adjourned the matter after the petitioners sought time to study the matter.

The petitioners in their plea had submitted that the Commission was badly neglected by the State government.

The petitioners also pointed out that the State had sanctioned only 105 staff members as against the demand placed by the Commission for 491 staff members. They added that the KSHRC plans to open wings in six police ranges of the State was in cold storage.