Mumbai: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has rapped state government officials for having a “casual approach” towards handling human rights violations. Taking serious note of the observations, chief secretary Sumit Mullick has written to all officials to comply with NHRC directives and take the necessary steps wherever required.

The NHRC has said in its remarks, “The commission is pained to observe that the secretariat of the government of Maharashtra including the principal secretary, secretary, and other secretaries of the department are taking matters pertaining to violation of human rights in a very causal manner. Their lackadaisical attitude is resulting in delay of redressal of the grievances of the public. There would be no need to bother the chief secretary in each and every matter if the other officers are sensitive to the rights of the public guaranteed by the Constitution. The commission hopes that the chief secretary will issue necessary directions to all principal secretaries and others to be prompt in submitting replies in all the matters relating to the human rights on which references are received by them from the NHRC.”

Instructing all officials to be “prompt” in handling matters pertaining to human rights violations, Mr Mullick has asked his subordinates to submit replies in all the matters related to human rights violations. “All the additional chief secretaries/principal secretaries/secretaries and heads of departments/organisations are hereby instructed to be very diligent and prompt in handling matters pertaining to violation of human rights and to be prompt in submitting the replies in all the matters relating to human rights on which references are received by them from the Hon’ble National Human Rights Commission,” he has written.