The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has condemned the practice of appointing interim officials in local bodies for months, stating that such measures could impede the effective functioning of these institutions. “There is nothing wrong with handing over charge to an official in the absence of one for a few days. However, keeping the same person in charge for months could be an issue,” said K. Baijunath, a judicial member of the Commission.
He made the remark while hearing a complaint regarding staff shortage in Feroke municipality in Kozhikode recently. The Commission noted that the public who approached local bodies for every need from birth to death deserved prompt services.
The Commission warned the complainant, K.T. Abdul Manaf, against wasting officials’ time with complaints that violated the ethics of the Right to Information, reminding him that officials had rights too. It also directed officials to process Mr. Manaf’s applications within a month and instructed the municipal secretary to submit a report.
Published – October 09, 2024 07:50 pm IST