XVI. COMPLAINTS BEFORE THE COMMISSION (A) NUMBER AND NATURE 16.1 -During the year under report, there has been an increase of nearly 9.6 per cent in cases including custodial death cases, registered by the Commission in comparison with the preceding year. This increase continues to reflect both a heightened awareness of human rights in the country as well as the hope and belief that the Commission will act promptly and impartially to secure the redressal of grievances. The number of complaints, which includes reports sent by State agencies on custodial deaths and rapes, registered in 1997-98 was 36,791 as against 40,724 registered during the year ending 31 March 1999. Including the 13,512 cases which were pending consideration at the beginning of the year, the Commission had a total of 54,236 cases that required its consideration in 1998-99. Uttar Pradesh continued to account for the largest number of fresh cases, with 22,043, followed by Bihar with 4040 such cases. These two States together accounted for 64.1 per cent of the fresh cases received during 1998-99. 1 6 2 While, on the one hand, the Commission had to deal with an increased inflow of complaints, the Commission unfortunately remained short of two Members until October 1998. The pressures of work were therefore considerable. During the year under review, 53,711 cases were taken up for consideration. Of them, 32,277 cases were disposed of in limini and 11,389 cases were disposed of with directions to the appropriate authorities. Three thousand three hundred and ninety five cases were concluded after considering the reports received from the concerned authorities, or the reports submitted after inquiry by the Investigation Division of the Commission. To sum-up, a total of 47,061 cases were disposed of during 1998-99, as against 18,801 cases that were disposed of during 1997-98. The disposal of cases was thus 150 per cent more than that in the previous year. The Commission believes that the disposal of cases could have been even better had there been prompter and fuller responses to the notices of the Commission by the State authorities and, of course, had the Membership of the Commission been complete. The Commission has noted with regret that, from certain States, there was considerable delay in responses. The Commission calls upon all the States to streamline their procedures and improve their responsiveness to the Commission's notices. 16.3 A State-wise list of the number of cases registeredlconsidered by the Commission and pending consideration is at Annexure VIII. A State-wise list of cases dismissed in limini, disposed of with directions and concluded after consideration of reports and inquires by various agencies is at Annexure IX. A statement showing an analysis of the cases in which the Commission called for reports and inquiries, including those which were concluded on the basis of such reports and inquiries, is at Annexure X. In accordance with the standing