State govt submits action plan for rights protection

CHHATTISGARH

THE CHHATTISGARH government has submitted a six-point action plan to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for the protection of human rights. The plan includes a “clear separate entry” in performance assessments on rights issues for police officers.

The move comes a day after the government asked Bastar Inspector General SRP Kalluri to go on medical leave following allegations of police excesses and intimidation of researchers, activists and journalists.

The Indian Express had on Friday reported that the NHRC had pulled up the Chhattisgarh government on November 30 and instructed it to set up state and Bastar district level committees to look into rights violations.

The NHRC had on Friday said it was deeply disturbed by the state of affairs in Chhattisgarh and added that it had asked the state government to provide an action plan.

The government has instructed Anti-naxal Operations Special Director General to recommend action in cases of gross rights violations in which the action has been slow, lacking or inadequate as part of the plan.

The NHRC said that the Chhattisgarh government will direct its police chief to organise training and orientation for police in Bastar. It added that police officers would be asked to ensure that rights are not violated and that excesses would have consequences. The officers would be responsible for men under their command.

The state government is setting up district level rights protection committees. Collectors in each seven districts of Bastar would head the panels. The district level committees will look into complaints on rights issues and recommend action. The state-level panel will take over if a case is not disposed of at the district level or a complainant is not satisfied with the action taken.

SRP Kalluri