New Delhi, Nov 07: Pulling up the Uttar Pradesh government for displaying "casual attitude" to its notices over reported death of 44 children in a government-run health centre, the National Human Rights Commission has asked the state to respond within four weeks failing which it threatened to invoke its powers of a civil court. The NHRC noted that the state government had either not responded to its notices or its response "did not address the basic issues" and conveyed to the chief secretary that the state government was "under an obligation to respond to the commission under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993."
"The commission calls upon the chief secretary, finally, to respond to the concerns expressed by the commission and to carry out the directions issued by it in its various proceedings," the NHRC order said.
It threatened that if the state government failed to respond within four weeks, the commission would be "compelled" to exercise its powers under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 which gives it civil powers under which it can summon any functionary or documents.
The NHRC said it views with "concern" the "casual attitude of the state government of UP in general and of the chief secretary in particular" in dealing with its directions.
Bureau Report