The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rights activists favour withholding of AP Police Bill

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Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rights activists favour withholding of AP Police Bill

Special Correspondent

Move to introduce it in budget session of Assembly opposed

HYDERABAD: The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has appealed to the State Government to withhold tabling of the Andhra Pradesh Police Bill in the coming budget session of the Assembly till it completes a widespread public consultation process.

In a statement, Maja Daruwala, director, CHRI, referred to the reported move to introduce the bill in the Assembly and get it hurriedly passed with no questions raised, as was done in many States. By adopting such methods State Governments were keeping the people in dark denying them the opportunity to respond and give their valuable inputs.

If the people’s views were not taken, policing in Andhra Pradesh will continue as usual with no evidence of reform as directed by the Supreme Court. In its historic judgement in the Prakash Singh case in September 2006, the Court had ordered the Central and State Governments to comply with its seven directives to initiate police reform until appropriate legislation was framed.

At the forthcoming hearing of the apex court on March 11, all State Governments were required to demonstrate compliance. Andhra Pradesh had in its affidavit complied with some and raised objections to the rest. Since the submission of its last affidavit the composition of the drafting committee appeared to have changed a few times without clarity or transparency, he added.

In this context, the CHRI made the alarming discovery of States hurriedly passing new police bills largely to escape being charged with contempt of court. An analysis shows that many states have diluted the Court’s directives and some have flouted them entirely.

Public consultation was completely absent across the country, negating the democratic process. That was why the CHRI was insisting the Andhra Pradesh Government seek inputs from people on improvement in police services and on the new police bill.

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