Six out of seven post at National Commission for Minorities lying vacant: Delhi High Court seeks status report from Central government

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a status report from the Central government in relation to the steps taken by it to fill the vacancies at National Commission for Minorities (Abhay Ratan Bauddh vs UOI)..A single-judge Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh directed the Central government to revert with respect to the status of appointments while recording the submission of the petitioner that six out of seven posts in the Commission were lying vacant. .After an objection was raised by the Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, the Court deleted the Prime Minister's Office from the list of respondents. .As per the ASG, Prime Minister's Office had no role to play in the process of appointment. .The Court has hearing a petition preferred by Abhay Ratan Bauddh..The petitioner informed the Court that at present, the Commission was functioning with just its vice-chairperson, while six posts including that of the chairperson, were lying vacant. .As per the petitioner, without its proper quorum, the Commission has been unable to provide the remedies to minority communities.."The National Commission for Minorities cannot protect the interests of minorities communities without its Chairperson, member Buddhist, Christian, Parsi, Sikh and Jain," the petition said..It was asserted that the deliberate non-filling of vacancies at the Commission was in violation of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992..ASG Sharma stated that the Commission was functioning with its vice-chairman who was visiting various States but the Court was not impressed. ."But there cannot be so many vacancies," the Bench said. .The matter would be heard next on March 8..Advocate Manan Aggarwal appeared for the petitioner.