Bhubaneswar: After a long wait of seven years, the state government, Thursday, appointed former Orissa High Court judge Bimal Prasad Das as the chairperson of Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC), official sources said.
The long-standing demands of the human rights activists of the state at least fulfilled as the state rights commission will run much effectively with full three-member panel.
Now, with more than one member in the OHRC, the rights panel can take up important cases of human rights abuse suo motu which was not possible earlier. The commission can also deal with important policy matters and also pay visit to jails, detention centres and custodies for check up, claimed a noted human rights activist.
The OHRC got a chairperson after a gap of seven years as the post was lying vacant since November 23, 2012.
Justice Raghubir Dash had been officiating as the commission’s acting chairman since May 16, 2019.
RN Bohidar and Justice BK Mishra had also served as acting chairpersons of the rights body.
Meanwhile, High Court lawyer Asim Amitabh Dash has been appointed as member of the OHRC, according to a notification issued by the Law Department.
However, some rights activists raised questions over the appointment of a person having strong links with the ruling party as a member of commission that will weaken the autonomy of the commission.
The OHRC has been functioning since 2003.