Delhi govt forms search panel for forming HR Commission

Setting the ball rolling for constituting 'Delhi Human Rights Commission', the AAP government has formed a four-member search committee, headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, to finalise names of its chairperson and other members.
As per a government order, the search committee will also comprise Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, Home Minister Satyendar Jain and Opposition leader Vijender Gupta.
In July this year, Supreme Court had expressed concern over the fact that there was no State Human Rights Commission in Delhi since last 22 years and asked the government to set up the same within six months.
A senior government official said that Committee will search the name of Commission's Chairperson, who has been a Chief Justice of a High Court.

"One member of the Search Committee should be, or has been, a Judge of a High Court or District Judge in the national capital territory of Delhi with a minimum of seven years experience as District Judge.
"One other member will be appointed amongst persons having knowledge of, or pratical experience in, matters relating to human rights," the official said, adding that committee has been asked to give proposed names at the earliest.
During his speech in Delhi Assembly in July, Kejriwal had said that in view of the Supreme Court directions and also the fact that Delhi has the second highest number of human rights violations in the country, the state government has already initiated the process for setting-up the State Human Rights Commission.

The Supreme Court, had on July 24 observed that successive governments had simply not bothered to set up the SHRC even 22 years after Parliament enacted the Protection of Human Rights Act in 1993.