After HC rap, Guj govt tables NHRC 2002-03 report in Assembly

 Following severe criticism by Gujarat High Court, the state government today tabled the report of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for the year 2002-03 before the Legislative Assembly here.

In its ruling ordering compensation to over 500 religious structures which were damaged during 2002 riots, the acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala had observed that not tabling the NHRC report was a violation of Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

"No explanation has been given by the state government for not placing the annual and other reports given by the National Human Rights Commission before the State Legislative Assembly till today... such grave lapse amounts to clear violation of Section 20 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993," the court had said in its judgement of February 8.

NHRC report of 2002-03 was tabled today along with the report of inquiry into hooch tragedy of July 2009 (in which 148 persons had died), conducted by commission headed by former HC judge, Justice Kamal Mehta.

Following the recommendations of Mehta report, the government has now formed a committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary to see how they can be implemented.
Following the hooch tragedy, the state government had amended the Prohibition Act to provide for maximum penalty of death for selling illicit liquor.