Rights panel now off travel curbs

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has decided to withdraw the restrictions imposed on the travel allowances of Kerala State Human Rights Commission employees as the Commission had taken a tough stand that no sitting would be held outside Thiruvananthapuram from next month.

“It seems the restrictions on Human Rights Commission employees’ travel allowances came as an oversight.   We will rectify it at the earliest,” said Law secretary Mr. B G Harindranath.  He also said that the government did not want to pose any difficulties in the functioning of the Commission.

In the wake of the government’s earlier decision to restrict the travel allowance to once in three months, the Commission had decided to suspend all sittings outside the Commission office in Thiruvananthapuram from April.

A special meeting of the Commission had taken the decision after the employees expressed their unwillingness to take part in sittings in other districts, said a statement from the Commission.

The Commission used to hold sittings in all districts and even in more than one location in a district for the convenience of the public. Hence the decision not to hold sittings in other districts would have caused severe inconvenience to
the public. “At least three officials will have to take part in the sitting," said the statement.