Mumbai: MSHRC to get permanent office after 16 years

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) would soon get its own permanent office. Since it was formed 16 years ago, the rights body didn't have a permanent office, and the Bombay High Court had pulled up the government over the issue last month. A government resolution (GR) issued by the Home Department recently said it had decided to allocate 6,000 sqft of space to the commission on the fifth floor of a building owned by MTNL in Cuff Parade, South Mumbai.

The government will pay a monthly rent of Rs 17.40 lakh to MTNL. The GR also gave a go-ahead to recruitment for 15 posts, including that of legal assistant, in the commission. The MSHRC, established in 2001, currently operates from a small temporary office in a government building in South Mumbai.

The High Court, hearing a public interest litigation filed by Naresh Gosavi and Kailash Sharma last month, had observed that the commission was functioning without proper amenities, staff and space since it was set up.