‘No change in strength of human rights panel’

During the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate H C Arora, seeking directions to the state government to fill up the three vacant posts of members in the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), the Advocate General today assured the Court that the strength of members in the PSHRC will remain the same, i.e. five members.

The Advocate General, H S Mattewal, stated that there is no proposal to reduce the strength of the panel from five members to three members. Explaining the ‘incorrect information’ given to the Bench during the previous hearing, Mattewal said that the previous statement was made due to some communication gap. He further assured the Bench that the process of appointment of one retired High Court judge and another retired judge of the level of a District and Sessions judge has been initiated and the file has been circulated to the Speaker of the Assembly and the leader of opposition, who are members of the statutory committee for the appointment of members of the Commission.

He also said that these two appointments would be finalised within fifteen days, and that would increase the present strength of the members of the Commission to four members. He further explained that the names for the appointment of the fifth member, who would be a non-judicial member, are under consideration and that a requisite process would be initiated soon. The Division Bench also directed the state government to finalise the appointment of the fifth member expeditiously. Home Secretary BC Gupta was also present during the hearing. In the previous hearing, the Bench, headed by Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, had directed the Home Secretary to remain present in court today.