NHRC's three-day 'Open Hearing' concludes

Hyderabad, April 24 (INN): The three day 'Open Hearing' and 'Camp Sitting' of the National Human Rights Commission on the issues concerning human rights of the people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana concluded here on Friday after holding a meeting with senior officers and expressing the hope that the State Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana would proactively engage itself for timely compliance of its recommendations and work towards promotion and protection of human rights in these States.

Several issues of human rights violation were discussed with the senior officers and they were sensitized that responsibility of protecting the human rights of the poor and marginalised people lies with the State and their problems should be dealt with a humane approach.

The issues of discussions covered reforms in jails, bonded labour, police atrocities, grabbing of land of SCs, implementation of flagship programmes, delay in submission of reports etc. as well as the issues which were brought to the notice of the Commission during its 'Open Hearing' and discussions with NGOs including murder of Pastors, false implication of scheduled castes, atrocities against red sanders, rising cases of death in custody, increasing number of suicide by debt ridden farmers, patta not being provided despite allotment and the need to sensitize the state authorities as well as the public about human rights.

The issue of farmer suicide was discussed in detail with the State functionaries. The State Government has informed that steps are being taken to alleviate the problems of the farmers which includes debt waiver, drought proof irrigation etc.,

Earlier on the opening day of its three day Camp Sitting at Hyderabad, Justice Cyriac Joseph, Justice D. Murugesan and S.C. Sinha, Members heard 21, 22 and 18 matters respectively during the Open Hearing.

The intervention of the NHRC in the matters taken up for Open Hearing resulted in relief for many complainants. A husband who was ignoring his wife and mentally sick daughter was made to see reason. He promised to treat his wife well and to get the child treated at Bangalore. In another case where a woman SC complainant was not being appointed on compassionate ground after death of her husband, has been given appointment as Office Subordinate. In another case APSRTC bus services, which were withdrawn earlier, have been restored in a SC village after the intervention of the Commission.

The Commission also recommended compensation of Rs. 1 lakh to a victim of sexual harassment. The Commission has also recommended that Committee to look into complaints of sexual harassment in terms of the Vishakha judgment by Supreme Court be constituted in offices in the State of Andhra Pradesh.

In another important case, the Commission has directed the State Government to hand over the possession of the land to the complainant who has not been handed over the possession since its allotment in the year 1999.

In another case the Commission has directed release of pension to an employee, retired from service on 30/11/2014 from the Collectorate, Nizamabad after fixation of his pay.

Many cases of land disputes were resolved after the intervention of the Commission where it directed to issue Pattadar passbooks to the allottees of land.

During the second day of the Camp Sitting the Full Commission, the Division Bench-I and Division Bench-II took up 17, 11 and 10 cases respectively.

The matter pertaining to death of 20 red sanders during the course of police action in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh on 7/4/2015 was taken up by the Commission. After hearing the submissions made by the representatives of the civil society and the State Government the Commission has directed that in addition to its earlier order dated 13.04.2015, mobile number of all the officials involved in the police action, medico-legal reports of the police personnel injured in the action are also to be submitted to the Commission. The Commission has also decided to send its own team for inquiry at the spot. The State Government has been asked to facilitate investigation team of NHRC.

Apart from taking the case of killing of 20 red sanders in Sesachalam hill range the Commission also took up the case in which five under trial prisoners were killed in District Nalgonda while being brought to Hyderabad for Court hearing. Many representatives of the civil society protested that the said five prisoners were eliminated in pursuance of conspiracy. The Commission directed inquiry by a judicial magistrate in the matter.

The issue of rehabilitation of 920 bonded labourers in Krishna district was also taken up and the Commission pointed out to the authorities concerned that delay in rehabilitation defeats the very purpose of release of bonded labourers. The Govt. of Telangana conceded that there were some bonded labourers in Rangareddy and Medak districts and agreed to issue Release Certificates to them.

The Commission was informed that the residential school for visually handicapped children in Kakinada where the Coordinator had caned three minor children has been taken over by the Govt.

The Commission was also informed that the persons who had suffered due to explosion in the GAIL pipeline had been given monetary compensation accommodation and job.

The families of three sewerage workers who had died of suffocation after entering a manhole in Vishakhapatnam district were given comp of 6 lac each, a house and a job.

In many cases of custodial death, where it was found that the police or prison authorities were responsible, the Commission recommended monetary relief amounting to Rs. 7 lacs for the next of kin. In one case of encounter the Commission did not believe the police version and recommended compensation of Rs five lacs.

During the open hearing, the Commission gained the impression that the police investigation of cases reported by Scheduled castes was not as quick and fair as it should be. The District Magistrates and Labour Offices need to be sensitized about their functions and duties under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulations) Act, 1986. The incident which resulted in death of 20 red sanders and five under-trial prisoners in Seshachalam Forest and Nalgonda District respectively need to be investigated in a free, impartial and credible manner.