Haryana rights panel warns Faridabad DC, Municipal Commissioner of Rs 20,000 fine per case

Chandigarh, July 17 The Haryana Human Rights Commission has taken serious view of the repeated disregard of its orders by officials of the Faridabad district administration and the Faridabad Municipal Corporation.

In a strong action, the commission on Thursday said it has issued show-cause notices to both the Deputy Commissioner and the Municipal Commissioner, warning them of a Rs 20,000 fine per case for contempt of its directions.

Commission member Deep Bhatia, while passing the order, emphasised that non-compliance with the commission directives "not only amounts to contempt of law but also obstructs justice for the aggrieved individuals".

In a complaint, the Deputy Commissioner, the Executive Engineer (PWD B and R), and the Block Development and Panchayat Officer of Tigaon were instructed multiple times to submit a report.

Despite a formal letter issued by the Deputy Commissioner on May 16 to the officers concerned, no report was submitted, nor did any officer appear before the commission.

"This indicates a careless and casual approach towards a serious human rights matter," observed the commission.

Indraraj Singh, a resident of Bukharpur village in Ballabgarh tehsil, has stated in his complaint that the main access road to his village is in a severely dilapidated condition, causing great inconvenience to villagers.

The situation is so dire that they are forced to travel through a neighboring village to reach their destination.

According to Indraraj Singh, the problem worsens significantly during the rainy season, creating serious difficulties for students, the elderly, and the sick. The complaint also mentions that he has submitted several requests to the administration for the construction of an alternative road, but no effective action has been taken so far.

Similarly, in two other complaints no official from the Faridabad Municipal Corporation appeared or submitted any status report, despite clear directives from the commission.

On April 22, the commission had specifically ordered that a senior official must appear in person with the latest report and any relevant court orders. These instructions were also ignored.

Complainant Deepak Tripathi, a resident of Kapda Colony, NIT Faridabad, highlighted violations of environmental norms by industrial units in the Faridabad area and the improper disposal of polluted water.

He alleged that such pollution is having an adverse impact on public health, while the departments concerned, particularly the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad, have failed to take any effective action in the matter.

Owing to repeated lapses, the commission has issued the show-cause notices to both the Deputy Commissioner and the Municipal Commissioner of Faridabad under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, asking them to explain why a fine of Rs 20,000 per case should not be imposed on them for willful disobedience.

Puneet Arora, Protocol, Information and Public Relations Officer, said the commission has directed the officials concerned or their authorised representatives to appear personally and present the required reports on the next hearing dates.

The commission listed the case for the next hearing on September 22.

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