Can’t have so many vacancies in minorities body, Delhi HC tells Centre

THE DELHI High Court on Monday questioned the Centre regarding vacancies at the National Commission for Minorities and asked it to file a status report in response to a petition seeking filling of all vacant posts in the statutory body. The court was told that six out of seven posts in the Commission are vacant.

In the petition filed by Abhay Ratan Bauddh, who belongs to the Buddhist minority community, it was argued that the government was deliberately not filling the vacant posts in the Commission and, thus, violating the provisions of the law. The court was told that the Commission was functioning only with its vice-chairperson. Justice Prathiba M Singh observed there cannot be so many vacancies and asked the central government to apprise the court about the status of the appointments.

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The single bench adjourned the hearing of the case to March 8.

The petition also argues that the aim and purpose of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, loses its importance when the authorities have “intentionally and deliberately” ignored the “glaring vision” of the provisions of the Act on “account of the vested interest best known to them”.

“Since a very long time, the National Commission for Minorities is functioning without very proper coram and is unable to provide the remedies to the minority communities,” the petition reads.