Gandhinagar: Following severe criticism by
Gujarat High Court, the state government on Friday tabled the
report of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for the year
2002-03 before the Legislative Assembly here.
In its ruling ordering compensation to over 500 religious
structures which were damaged during 2002 riots, the acting
Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala
had observed that not tabling the NHRC report was a violation
of Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
"No explanation has been given by the state government
for not placing the annual and other reports given by the
National Human Rights Commission before the State Legislative
Assembly till today... such grave lapse amounts to clear
violation of Section 20 of the Protection of Human Rights Act,
1993," the court had said in its judgement of February 8.
NHRC report of 2002-03 was tabled today along with the
report of inquiry into hooch tragedy of July 2009 (in which
148 persons had died), conducted by commission headed by
former HC judge, Justice Kamal Mehta.
Following the recommendations of Mehta report, the
government has now formed a committee headed by Additional
Chief Secretary to see how they can be implemented.
Following the hooch tragedy, the state government had
amended the Prohibition Act to provide for maximum penalty of
death for selling illicit liquor.
PTI
