Lucknow, Jun 4 The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to take urgent steps to fill the long-vacant posts of the state's child rights panel, observing that the statutory body can not be allowed to remain non-functional for an extended period.
A division bench comprising Justices Shekhar B Saraf and Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary passed the order on June 2 while disposing of a PIL filed by Human Unity Movement.
According to the petition, the Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has been without a chairman or any members since November 2024. As all positions in the body remain vacant, it has become completely non-functional, adversely affecting the protection of children's rights and the redressal of complaints relating to child welfare, it said.
The petitioner contended that the commission's inactivity has hampered the hearing, monitoring and resolution of matters concerning child rights, making immediate appointments necessary.
After hearing the parties, the bench observed that it was inappropriate for a statutory body established to safeguard children's rights to remain non-functional for such a prolonged period.
The court directed the state government to treat the matter as a priority and complete the process of appointing the chairman and members of the commission, preferably within four months.
