NHRC expresses concern over delay in setting up of Tribunal for endosulfan victims

The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday expressed its dissatisfaction over tardy progress in the setting up of a Tribunal to settle the claims of the victims of endosulfan and asked the Government of Kerala to expedite it.

It has given eight weeks time to the State Government through its chief secretary to respond with a report about the progress on the issue along with details of payment of the remaining amount of relief to the victims, which was recommended by it. During the course of the hearing of the matter at the commission's 'camp sitting', the officers of the State Government informed that the proposal to set up a Tribunal was awaiting clearance from the cabinet.

The commission took up 19 cases in its full commission sitting on the second day of its 'camp sitting' in Thiruvananthapuram. In another important case, the Commission reprimanded the Public Service Commission, PSC for its serious lapse in holding exams of 290 physically challenged candidates on the second floor of a building in Thiruvananthapuram which had no lifts and ordered to issue a notice to PSC to show cause why rupees one thousand each should not be paid to the victims of human rights violation.

In the case related to the deaths of infants due to malnutrition in Palakkad District, the commission has given four weeks time to the State Government to submit report on the steps taken by it for improving the condition as claimed by it. On the issue of rehabilitation of landless Dalit Adivasis and others of Pathnamthitta, the commission took a serious note of the fact that out of 1495 persons, 1335 were given land in 14 districts, but only 111 of them had occupied it. There were allegations that most of them did not found the land habitable. The commission asked the government to submit a status report on the issue within four weeks.

On the concluding day of the camp sitting on the 10th April, 2015, the Commission will hold discussions with the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, DMs, SPs and other senior civil, police and jail officers of the State on the issues raised by the NGOs. After the meeting, the Chairperson and the Members of the Commission will brief the media on the outcome of its three day camp sitting.