Bhubaneswar: Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Tuesday directed the Principal Secretary to Home department and Director General of Police to follow the directions of the High Court regarding actions against protestors blocking public roads. The commission also put forward some suggestions to the authorities in order to aware people about the measures mentioned by the court.
The rights panel took up the issue suo motu after one of its members was stuck on National Highway 16 due to a blockade at Pratapnagari in Cuttack while he was on his way to office Tuesday. The commission asserted that the protestors resort to road blockade on the highways at the drop of a hat spelling troubles for the commuters. The protesters even damage public properties during the agitations. The commission said that it is a violation of the commuters’ rights regarding free movement on the road.
Citing the Chambara Soy Vs State of Orissa (Kalinga Nagar Case) in 2008, the commission said the HC had asked the authorities to implement certain measures against the persons involved in blocking roads and damaging public properties. The bench had also asked the Principal Secretary to Home department and the police DG to respond whether the measures suggested by court are implemented in the state and the protestors blocking the road could be punished as per the instructions of the court.
The panel also suggested a few steps to be taken in this regard. It asked the authorities to create awareness among the general public in connection with actions instructed by the HC in the above case. The commission asked the government to take action against the agitators as per the points raised by the court in 2008.
The commission asked the authorities to submit the action-taken report in connection with its recommendations by October 21.