'Life security limited to books'

Human rights are being violated massively. The layman is deprived of the basic fundamental rights of livelihood, alleged State Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice S R Nayak addressing the public grievance meeting held here at DC’s Office on Tuesday.

He said the livelihood security that is assured to the citizens in the Indian Constitution is only limited to books and not practiced virtually.  Majority people in many parts of the State have a deteriorated standard of life. However, there may be exception in some cases like developed districts like Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, he said.He also pointed out that even after two years of destruction owing to the huge flood in North Karnataka States, rehabilitation to the affected people with proper shelter and other forms of livelihood have not been provided.

Most of the affected people are migrating towards Mumbai and other metropolitan cities in search of their livelihood. Living rights is the foremost right to be practiced that supersedes the political and civil rights. “Our governance is not in a position to offer adequate food, shelter and proper protection for the deprived class,” he said added that lack of political will and support from bureaucracy has led to the debacle aiding no changes in the living conditions of poor man.

Police atrocity

Police forces have sovereign powers and police should not misuse the powers assigned to them. Many police atrocity cases have been reported. People who are meant to safeguard and protect people are indulging in harassment, he added.

He said as many as 478 cases have been registered in Udupi district till August 31, 2011. As many as 305 cases have been disposed and 173 are pending. About 26,690 cases are registered across the State till the end of June 2011, of which 17,235 cases are disposed, he said.

State Human Rights Commission has registered as many as 5,550 cases as suo-moto, among which majority cases are against the violation of general basic rights of public.

He called upon public to come forward to fight against the injustices done by their representatives to whom they have blindly voted for. There should be public rage against the violation of human rights and other sorts of injustices. Voter should be ashamed of himself for selling him to the money and other incentives offered by the politicians, he added.

Speaking over the coal based Udupi power Corporation Limited thermal power plant project, Nayak expressed his inability to go beyond his jurisdiction as he has certain limitations. A complaint was filed by Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha District Secretary Shashidhar Shetty against UPCL plant. Nayak informed that the DC has informed him about the installation of the plant and the problems meted out to the people in the surrounding area.

He said the State Pollution Control Board has drawn up certain conclusions after meeting the Company officials and responding to the directions issued, company officials have sought four months of time to rectify the devices and other infrastructural tools that has created problems. “I will issue a notice to the State Environment Pollution Board to hold indepth inquiry into the pollution mess created over in the area,” he said and added he may plan a visit to the site during his next visit to the district.

Nayak urged DC, SP and other government officials to ban plastic in their offices. The initiatives should be practiced first by the people who implement the orders, he stressed.