NHRC short-staffed, says Balakrishnan

The National Human Rights Commission is short of staff to take on the added responsibility if the anti-communal violence bill is passed in its present form, its chairman K.G. Balakrishnan said Thursday.

"The commission will have to share a huge responsibility for which its present capacity in terms of staff and infrastructure will not be sufficient," he said referring to the anti-communal violence bill.

However, the commission is prepared to take the responsibility in the right spirit, said Balakrishnan, a former chief justice of India.

On Monday, the cabinet approved the revised bill which provides for penalty for hate propaganda.

The NHRC chief was speaking at a day-long workshop here for media persons called "Media and Human Rights: issues and Challenges".

It was organised by the NHRC and the Indian Law Institute.