Setting up SHRCs may be made mandatory: NHRC

Bangalore, Mar 14 (UNI) National Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice Shivraj V Patil today said formation of State Human Rights Commission may be made mandatory.

''The Commission will send a recommendation to make necessary amendments in the Act to make it obligatory on the part of the State Governments to form Human Rights Commission in their respective State,'' he told newspersons here.

Justice Patil said only 17 States have SHRCs, while the other States, including Karnataka, were yet to follow suit.

He said the NHRC received about 70,000 to 75,000 complaints annually and if all the States had the SHRCs, the number of complaints would drastically come down and justice could be rendered early to the affected.

About 20,000 complaints were pending with the NHRC and maximum complaints were received from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar and Rajasthan.

Justice Patil said following the Nithari killings, a four-member Committee had been formed four weeks ago under the Chairmanship of NHRC member P C Sharma to study child kidnapping, torture and related issues and recommend suitable steps to prevent recurrence of such incidences.

The Committee was expected to submit its report within the next four weeks. Guidelines would be framed based on the report and sent to the Goverment for implementation.

Denying the criticism that NHRC was toothless, justice Patil claimed that 90 to 95 per cent of the Commission's recommendations were implemented.

''Moreover, if any particular State fails to implement the NHRC recommendations, it will be mentioned in the annual report, placed before Parliament every year, and I am sure the Opposition parties would certainly take up the issue,'' he said.

UNI