Law Commission recommends separate human rights body for J&K and Ladakh UTs

Srinagar, Nov 05 (KNS): Days after the J&K government abolished State Human Rights Commission, the Law Commission has recommended re-establishment of the rights body in Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, citing difficult terrain and weather vagaries in the newly created territorial units.

In its recommendations submitted to J&K government, the panel headed by Justice (retd.) M Khanjura has recommended establishment of a separate human rights commission for both the UTs.

“…… It is recommended that a separate human rights commission may be established for the two newly created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” reads the report lying with Kashmir News Service (KNS).

The Commission has remarked that it would not be feasible and possible to confer the functioning relating to human rights upon a state commission located outside J&K and Ladakh UTs.

“Taking into consideration the vagaries of weather, the difficult terrain, the topography and the geographical conditions within which the two Union Territories are confronted and above all the number of complaints pending disposal in the Commission at the moment, it may not be feasible and possible to confer the functions relating to human rights upon a state commission located outside these territories,” reads the report.

Under the amendment made in the Central Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the Government of India is empowered to confer upon a state commission the functions relating to human rights of a union territory.

Last month, the State government had ordered abolition of state human rights commission as the law governing it was repealed by the Parliament when it approved re-organisation of J&K on August 5. (KNS) 

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