Minority instt: HC asks Govt to apppoint competent authority

The Delhi High Court today asked the city government to appoint a competent authority for processing applications for grant of requisite approvals for opening educational institutions for minorties.
"The answer given by Delhi government is not satisfactory. Earlier, we had expressed our prima facie view and asked the government to appoint the competent authority under the National Commisison for Minority Institutions Act, 2004," a bench, comprising acting Chief Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul, said.
Disposing of the PIL, filed by lawyer M Atyab Siddiqui, the court asked Delhi government to appoint the competent authority within four weeks so that the applications seeking approvals for starting educational institutes for minorities are decided fast.

During the hearing, Siddiqui said non-appointment of the authority in Delhi state has led to a situation where the persons are forced to approach the National Commission.
"It leads to delay and morever, the persons are deprived of a forum. The National Commisison should have been the appellate body. Due to the non-appointment of competent authority in the state body, persons are forced to move the national panel," he said.
The law, which came into being in 2005, provides for the state and national level panels for according approvals to proposed minority institutes.