Date:15/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031512370400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

State may face NHRC ire if action is delayed

Special Correspondent

The commission had ordered compensation to victims of atrocities by the Special Task Force

ALL EARS: Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Shivaraj V. Patil (right) listening to the grievances of victims of STF atrocities, in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE: Karnataka might face action from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) if it further delays the implementation of its order of providing compensation to the victims of atrocities by the Special Task Force (STF) that had been constituted to capture forest brigand Veerappan.

The NHRC had set a deadline of March 12 for both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to disburse compensation to the victims.

While Tamil Nadu has already paid compensation to victims in its State, Karnataka is yet to do that.

The failure of Karnataka to comply with the NHRC order was brought to the notice of commission chairman Shivaraj V. Patil during his visit to Bangalore on Wednesday by 51 victims who had come from Chamarajanagar district.

After receiving a memorandum from them, Mr. Patil told a press conference that as soon as he reached Delhi, he would verify whether Karnataka had filed the compliance report. If the report had not been filed, then he would seek explanation from Karnataka why it did not implement the order.

At the most, the NHRC might give an extension of another two to three weeks to implement the order.

"If Karnataka fails to implement the order again, we may have to summon the Chief Secretary," he cautioned.

He noted that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had told the NHRC that they had set apart Rs. 5 crore each towards payment of compensation. He expressed concern over the complaints by the victims that they were yet to get compensation.

Meanwhile, the NHRC would organise a national conference of NGOs in Bangalore on April 28 and 29. The conference, which is the first of its kind, would discuss various human rights issues, including the right to education, health facilities and custodial justice, Mr. Patil said.

The convention would also crystallise the recommendations to be made to the Centre on these issues.

About 100 NGOs and experts from different States would take part in the convention which would try to analyse the ways of improving the coordination between the NGOs and the NHRC, besides involving NGOs in protection and promotion of human rights. He termed NGOs as the eyes and ears of the NHRC.

The NHRC was holding hearings in the State capitals which had large number of complaints related to violations of human rights.

He said the highest number of complaints related to the violation of human rights was from Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar. The number of such complaints from Karnataka was low. Perhaps, there was not much awareness in Karnataka in this regard, he remarked.

The NHRC was also planning to recommend to the Government to amend the NHRC Act to make it mandatory for all States to set up human rights commissions, he said. Such a measure was being taken in the wake of several States, including Karnataka, not setting up their human rights commissions.

Absence of human rights commission in several States had made people there to approach the NHRC directly, he said.

He argued against the general view that NHRC was a toothless tiger as it was only a recommendatory body. "We might not have teeth. But we have a strong denture which is good enough to bite," he remarked.