CM yet to announce chairman of the Commission
Ranchi: The tenure of the Jharkhand State Law Commission will get over tomorrow. The charge of the Commission was taken up by former MP Rajkishore Mahato 18 months ago. Now the state government has an important task of appointing the new chairman of the Commission to safeguard the interests of the people of the state.
The Commission was formed way back in the year 2002. Retired Justice Satyeshwar Rai remained the chairman of the Commission for the first two years, but later relinquished the post due to bad health.
Later, Justice Anil Kumar Sinha took charge from 2004 till 2010. He also got extension of tenure several times. After some time, the Commission�s chairman post remained vacant from 2010 till 2012.
It was however revived during the Arjun Munda regime from retrospective effect for three years. It was then that Rajkishore Mahato was made the chairman of the Commission.
He joined office on 23rd March. But since 18 months had already elapsed, he could work only for 18 more months. The tenure of the Commission will come to an end on 13th November. The decision regarding the appointment of the new chairman has to be taken by the Chief Minister Hemant Soren as he is the minister in-charge of the law department.
Rajkishore Mahato said the Commission had a distinct and important place in a comparatively new state like Jharkhand. He said the state was also included in the list of states included in the Fifth Schedule.
There are a large number of illiterate people in the state who do not have legal awareness, Mahato said. There are many laws in effect here, but due to public ignorance, such laws cannot be implemented in the true sense of the word, Mahato observed.
Mahato said the Commission�s role was crucial in the state since there were many old laws and conventions at work here. He said the proper utilization of resources such as land, forests and mines depended much on the implementation of the laws formulated to prevent exploitation of tribal people.
He said new laws were also needed in the state in keeping with the modern times.