Par panel slams MEA, Home Min for non-fulfilment of assurances

A Parliamentary committee has criticised Home and External Affairs Ministries for failing to bring necessary amendment in existing law to comply with a UN convention on torture which India had signed 19 years back.
The Committee came down hard on the External Affairs Ministry for failing to implement an assurance given to the Lok Sabha in this regard by it in May 2000.
The report of the Committee on Government Assurances, tabled in Lok Sabha today, said an assurance was given in reply to a question in the House that required amendment would be brought in sync with the provisions of the UN Convention Against Torture.

"The committee are perturbed to note that an important assurance pertaining to 'abolition of torture' has been pending for implementation for more than 15 years since May, 2000," it said.
In its reply, the External Affairs Ministry told the committee that required amendment to the existing law has to be brought by the Home Ministry.
"The Committee feel that 15 years is too long a period to be wasted when the country earnestly needed to honour the universal human rights norms so as to enhance its prestige, image and status abroad as an emerging world power.
"The committee, therefore, desire that responsibility should be fixed on all the officials concerned, especially in the nodal ministry of Home Affairs," it said.

The Committee, headed by BJP MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, also expressed concern over non-fulfilment of assurance regarding extradition of Kim Davy, the prime accused in the Purulia arms drop case of 1995, from Denmark.