Mizoram to set up human rights commission soon: Minister K Sapdanga

Mizoram is making efforts to soon establish a state human rights commission (SHRC), Home Minister K Sapdanga informed the assembly. 

Pertaining to the matter, he said that a notification announcing the creation of various posts for the human rights panel was issued on October 11, 2024.

He said that a search committee was formed in November last year to recommend the chairperson and other members of the proposed panel.

Securing an appropriate building for the new rights panel is in process and efforts are also on to create a separate head of account to ensure that the human rights commission functions properly, Sapdanga said.

After years of delay, the Gauhati High Court’s Aizawl bench, on September 6 last year, gave the Mizoram government a final two-month deadline to set up a state human rights commission and warned that contempt proceedings would be initiated if it fails to do so within the stipulated time.

Subsequently, the state government announced the establishment of SHRC in October of that year.

During a hearing on November 27 last year, government advocate H. Lalmalsawmi informed the division bench of Justice Nelson Sailo and Justice Marli Vankung that the state government has complied with the court’s directive by forming the human rights panel under the provisions of section 21(4) & (1) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 with its headquarters in Aizawl on October 11, 2024.

She had told the court about the creation of 16 posts, including a chairperson and two members for the new establishment.

Acknowledging the positive steps taken by the state government, the division bench directed it to take further steps to establish the human rights panel by appointing suitable persons as its chairperson and members.