MHRC observes 22nd foundation day
Mani laments shortfalls in rights body
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 27 2020: The Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) observed its 22nd foundation at its Lamphelpat office today.

Speaking to media persons on the occasion, MHRC Acting Chairman Khaidem Mani said that the commission was established on June 27, 1998 under the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993, Manipur.

With the successive Governments paying little attention to the MHRC, it remained defunct for two years after the completion of its first term.

The second term was constituted after a gap of two years but again the commission went into a state of comatose for almost eight years.

The incumbent Government constituted the MHRC's third term on August 25, 2018, Mani said.

He said that a human rights commission is an institution and it should have at least four divisions namely; administrative division, law division, investigation division and research & analysis division.

Each of these divisions should have 30 to 40 staff and they should be equipped with necessary infrastructure, said the Acting Chairman.

However, MHRC has been suffering acute shortage of both infrastructure and manpower.

Till date, the commission does not enjoy any kind of financial autonomy, he said.

Khaidem Mani said that there are only 6/7 staff including himself at MHRC.

In the absence of Stenographer, Accountant, PRO, MHRC has been hiring the necessary staff and the commission has been facing many difficulties in paying remuneration/salary to the staff as the authority concerned has been paying little attention to all these basic requirements, he continued.

He said that the authority still owes him five months' salary.

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