Fifteen State Human Rights Commissions and Human Rights Courts 15.1 The Proection of" Human Rights Act, 1993, envisages the setting up of State Human Rights Commissions, because, being nearer to the people of the respective Slates, they should be aale to provide speedier and less expensive redressal of grievances. The National Humaa Rights (Commission, for its part, has therefore been urging the early establishment o State Human Rights Commissions in all States. 15.2 Successive Chairpersons have, accordingly, both written to and spoken with the Chief Ministers of States, impressing on them the need to set up Human Rights Commissions. Or 31 March 2000, the position was as follows: □ State Hunen Rights Commissions had been established in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu 8c Kashmir, Kerala, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadi and West Bengal. □ TTie States )f Bihar, Maharashtra and Orissa had issued ncHifications constituting State Human Rights Commissions. However, these had not yet been established. 15.3 The Natior-al Human Rights Commission has observed with some concern, that though by 31 Man h 2000, two to three months had passed since notifications were issued by Bihar, Mahara^tra and Orissa, the respective State Governments had not taken the concrete steps rec^ired to make the Commissions functional. Further, while Rajasthan had issued its notiication on 18 January 1999, the appointment of the (Chairperson and members was macx; only in March 2000. 15.4 As regards Uttar Pradesh, it will be recalled that the State Government issued a notification to estaolish a State Human Rights Commission on 4 April 1996. However, given the delay in ^tually constituting the State Commission, a PlLwas filed in the High Court of Allahabac in September 1998. Tlie NHRCC became a pait)- to the PIL and was represented by Shr: A.D. Giri. During the pendency of the \sTit petition, the Government of Uttar Pradesh proceeded to cancel the notification issued under Section 21(1) of the Protection of Huitan Rights Act, 1993 with a view to rendering the writ petition infructuous. The Hi^h Court, however, took serious objection to this, and in Mairh 2000,