JAMMU: The State Assembly today introduced two bills to increase the terms of chairperson and members of the the State Human Rights Commission and Accountability Commission to five years and the upper age limit for their eligibility to 75 years.
The decision comes in the wake of shortage of retired judges eligible for the posts in the two commissions.
Minister for Rural Development Abdul Haq Khan on behalf of the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister introduced a bill to amend the J&K Protection of Human Rights Act, 1997 (LA Bill No 4 of 2015) in the Assembly.
The objective of the bill is to increase the term of the chairperson and members of the State Human Rights Commission from three years to five years and the upper age limit for eligibility to 75 years, the minister said.
“All the positions of the chairperson and members are vacant. The eligibility for the appointment of chairperson is that he should have been a judge of a high court and should not be more than 70 years of age”, the Bill said.
At present a very few number of retired judges fulfilling such criteria are available, it said.
Accordingly a draft bill has been prepared to provide for treating the leader of the largest group or party in opposition to the Government as a member of committee in case there is no recognised leader of opposition in the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council, as the case may be, it said.
Khan also introduced another bill to amend the J&K Accountability Commission Act 2002 (LA Bill No 5 of 2015). (AGENCIES)
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