10,000 cases pending,Bengal Rights panel out to celebrate

Significantly,around 10,000 cases filed by people from different parts of the state,including those from victims of violence in Nandigram and Lalgarh are gathering dust. No recommendation has been made for action against anybody in last one year,said an official of the Commission.

The case of the Inspector in-charge of Lalgarh police station,against whom the Commission received specific allegations of torture against tribal women,has been left unattended. In absence of any recommendation,the accused officer has been promoted. After the retirement of Justice Sen,another member,Justice Narayan Chandra Seal,has been appointed the acting chairman. The Commission has another member,Sourin Roy,a former chief secretary to the state government.

Both Justice Seal and Roy denied allegations that cases were pending without the commission taking any action. Asked about the reason for not having a full-time chairman for the WBHRC,Justice Seal said: “This is a matter of decision for the state government. We are running the commission in a better way. What more could have been done if there was a permanent chairman?” Admitting that around 10,000 cases are lying with the commission,Roy said,“We are looking into the matter about the cases and trying to solve those”.

Justice Seal is also engaged in the judicial inquiry into the incident in which five Forward Bloc supporters were shot dead in Dinhata in Cooch Behar district on February 5,2008. Forward Bloc is a constituent of the Left Front. As per the home department sources,he draws a salary of about Rs 1.5 lakh per month as the acting chairperson of the commission.

The basic salary for Seal and Roy is Rs 80,000 per month with a 30 per cent of the basic as house rent and Rs 40,000 as car allowance. Justice Seal was given a Maruti Esteem by the state government for running the judicial inquiry in the Dinhata incident.

The salary for the Commission members is equivalent to the salary of High Court judges. Moreover,the perks and privilege package also entitle them to enjoy unlimited medical allowance and reimbursement of mobile phone bills. But while perks and privileges remain,there is no delivery of justice and no permanent chairman at the top.

Significantly,the Commission has a secretary who is an IAS official — B Mahapatro,former transport secretary. But sources pointed out that he has over 35 vigilance cases pending against him. Besides,the Commission has appointed a legal advisor a couple of months ago for which it reportedly did not have any sanction from the government. The committee for appointing the chairman includes Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee,Assembly Speaker Hasim Abdul Halim and Leader of Opposition Partho Chatterjee.

“No meeting was called in a year about the appointment of a chairperson in WBHRC,” Chatterjee said. “The state government has appointed the members of the Commission after satisfying its own political interests. It is a parking place for retired officers who are close to the government. The government has made the Commission defunct.”