The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has decided to establish district-level offices of its core committee at administrative complexes across the state, panel member Jitender Singh Shunty said on Sunday.
He said the commission has requested all deputy commissioners to allocate suitable spaces to facilitate the offices.
Addressing a human rights awareness programme at Alamgir Market, Shunty said the state will become the first in the country to have human rights commission’s presence at the district level. The move will help citizens seek redressal of their grievances within their respective districts, eliminating the need to travel to Chandigarh, he added.
Shunty said the protection of human rights was not merely a legal obligation, but also a collective social responsibility. He added everyone was entitled to equality, justice and dignity, adding the commission’s primary objective was to raise awareness and ensure timely resolution of complaints. He said the commission was committed to making its functioning more transparent, accessible and people-centric. According to him, focus was on safeguarding rights of women, children, senior citizens, labourers and other vulnerable sections of the society.
He said the commission has launched a special initiative against fraudulent visa and immigration operators in the state. According to him, nearly 450 complaints related to immigration fraud have already been received, many involving substantial financial losses.
