CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has set a two months deadline for filling up the three of the six posts of members that were still lying vacant in the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR). On February 16, the court had issued direction to the state government to fill up all the posts of members after a PIL sought intervention pointing out that the six were vacant.
On March 21, the state government informed the court that the Women & Child Welfare Department has filled up three of the six vacant posts. When the matter was taken up on Tuesday, petitioner and lawyer Prabir Kumar Das appeared in person pointed out that three posts of members were still lying vacant.
Das contended that OSCPCR norms prescribed that a vacancy caused by death, resignation or any other reason shall be filled up by nomination within 180 days of the date of occurrence of vacancy. He further stated that the remaining three posts are vacant from 2020.
State counsel D K Mohanty on the other hand assured the court that the commission will be fully constituted within a period of two months. An interlocutory application was also filed seeking extension of time for a period of two months for constitution of the commission fully.
Taking note of it, the division bench of Justice Subashis Talapatra and Justice Savitri Ratho disposed of the PIL, but said, “We direct the State Government to constitute the Commission fully by filling up those three vacancies within a period of two months.”