SHRC receives 100 pleas daily

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Commission celebrated its sixth Foundation Day at a function held on its premises here on Friday.Addressing the gathering, acting chairman K Peda Peri Reddy expressed satisfaction over the commission’s work in the last six years in cases as diverse as children’s rights, environment protection, atrocities on women and ensuring proper medical help. He assured that the commission would continue to work with the same spirit for the benefit of victims.According to Peri Reddy, the commission receives about 100 petitions every day and was flooded with more than 12,900 petitions between January and August this year. In the year of its establishment the commission received 2,396 cases and the number went up to 16,381 in 2010. Of the 30,991 cases received since its inception, the commission has settled 18,500.“Human rights as defined in the Act are the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual as guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in international covenants and enforceable by courts.Very wide powers are conferred on the commission to make an inquiry either suo motu or on a petition presented to it by any victim or any person on behalf of the victim complaining violation of human rights. We are keen to clear a victim’s complaint within sixth months. We will try to speed up clearing of cases in near future,’’ he added.Praising the commission’s functioning, former SC judge B Sudershan Reddy said there was need to create awareness in people over SHRC’s functioning.