According to government records, nearly 500 recommendations made by NHRC have been gathering dust at the PMO for the past 14 years.[break]
The PMO last week decided to make a serious review of the implementation status of NHRC´s recommendations and issued circular to all secretaries to furnish report regarding the implementation status of the recommendations.
"We have sought the progress report and the implementation status of NHRC´s recommendation from all secretaries within 10 days," informed Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire, adding, "We want to know as to how ministries have been acting on commission´s recommendations. Human rights is a major issue and the government is really committed to implementing the recommendations backlog without any compromise."
Most of the recommendations are concerned with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defense.
PMO´s move to collect reports from secretaries comes at a time when Nepal is preparing to present its "Universal Periodic Review on Human Rights" at a UN meeting in Geneva starting January 25.
According to Chief Secretary Ghimire, all secretaries have been asked to furnish clarifications as to why they didn´t initiate any process to implement the recommendations if any.
"The government will maintain zero tolerance in implementing the commission´s recommendation as it has defamed the country nationally and internationally," Ghimire said, adding, "The PMO is committed to expediting the implementation process effectively."
According to him, the PMO last week took a decision to this effect so as to end increasing impunity.
Nearly a year ago, the cabinet had decided to exact compensations from rights offenders.
According to figures, 340 individuals who figure in the recommendations have been fingered for abduction, extra-judicial killings and disappearing people.
Similarly NHRC has recommended that the government take action against 160 individuals for violation of human rights in various other cases.
NHRC, after its investigation, had recommended to the government to take necessary action against those named in connection with disappearing and torturing people at Bhairavnath Battalion and Yuddha Bhairav Battalion, and in connection with extra-judicial killings in the Doramba incident, in the murders of journalists Birendra Sah, Dekendra Thapa and Uma Singh among others.
Similarly NHRC has recommended prosecution of security officers for their involvement in the Kotwada incident on 2001. In the incident 37 laborers engaged in airport construction work were killed in a group at Kotwada, Kalikot district.
NHRC found that senior army officials were involved in the Kalikot incident. The commission had recommended to the government to take action against police officers in the murder of NHRC staffer Dayaram Pariyar.
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