Bhubaneswar: With the tenure of Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) chairperson and members set to expire February 6, concerns are growing over the absence of any visible move by the state government to initiate the appointment process for the next set of office-bearers.
Activists and civil society groups have cautioned that a delay in initiating the selection process could lead to vacancies in the commission, adversely affecting its functioning.
OHRC is a crucial statutory body that handles complaints related to human rights violations and provides an important forum for citizens seeking redressal.
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According to established procedures, the appointment of the chairperson and members of the commission involves recommendations by a high-level committee followed by formal approvals, a process that can take up to three months or longer.
With less than a week remaining for the current tenure to end, the absence of preparatory steps has raised apprehensions of a possible institutional vacuum.
Civil society organisation ‘Aama Janata Adhikar’ has urged CM Mohan Charan Majhi to immediately initiate the appointment process in order to ensure continuity in the functioning of the commission.
In a representation submitted to the CM, the organisation warned that prolonged vacancies could result in delays in the disposal of cases and weaken public confidence in the state’s human rights protection mechanism.
The organisation also pointed to the earlier experience of the Lokayukta, where prolonged vacancies had led to operational paralysis, and stressed the need to avoid a similar situation in the OHRC.
Signatories to the representation include Prasanna Bisoi, Manoj Jena and Basudev Bhatta.
As of now, there has been no official response from the state government regarding the initiation of the appointment process.
The current OHRC chairperson, Justice Satrughana Pujahari, was appointed February 10, 2023, succeeding BK Patel.