'Chhattisgarh govt makes action plan to address rights issues'

The Chhattisgarh government has prepared an action plan to address the issues of human rights violations in the wake of allegations of police excesses on civil society representatives, including academicians and journalists in Bastar, the NHRC today said.
The Commission also said that senior officers of the state government attended the hearing of the NHRC on January 30, and they were directed to inform by February 3 on the state administration's action plan.
On NHRC's intervention, the government of Chhattisgarh has prepared a "six-point action plan to ensure protection of human rights and to bring to book guilty officers," the Commission said in a statement.

"As an urgent measure, the state government has given standing instructions to the Special DGP/Additional DGP (Naxal Operations) to immediately recommend action to the Additional DGP (CID) in a case of gross violation of human rights wherein the action is found to be slow, lacking or inadequate at lower levels," the Commission said.
The NHRC taking suo motu cognisance of the reported allegations had observed on November 16 that it was "deeply disturbed" by the state of affairs in Chhattisgarh.
It had also said it had summoned the Chief Secretary and then IGP (Bastar Range) S R P Kalluri, over allegations of excesses and abuse of power against social activist Nandini Sundar and others in connection with a tribal murder case.

Other actions taken by the Chhattisgarh government include constitution of a state-level and district-level human rights protection committees.

"A district-level human rights protection committee headed by a district magistrate/collector has been constituted in each of the seven Naxal-affected districts of Bastar (range) to receive complaints on human rights issues," NHRC said.
The committee comprises six district-level administrative, police, law officers and two-three eminent citizens.
A state human rights protection committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of secretary, general administration department.
"This will consider only those cases which have not been disposed off at the district level or where the complainant is not satisfied with the action by the district committees. This committee comprises seven senior-level administrative, police, law officers and two-three eminent citizens/NGO representatives," the panel said.

The NHRC said the government of Chhattisgarh has informed that they have prepared a six-point action plan to ensure that human rights are adequately protected in Bastar.
"Director General of Police will organise training and orientation of the police force posted in Bastar Division to sensitise them on the human rights issues and to ensure that human rights are not violated in the course of their duties.
The panel warned that be it in Naxal-affected areas or elsewhere Human Rights violations will invite consequences.
On November 16, the Commission had also said that on consideration of the whole situation in Chhattisgarh over more than a year, it views the action of registration of FIR against Sundar and others "as an act in line with earlier acts of hostility displayed by police".