The Supreme Court today imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Ministry of Woman and Child Development for not appointing Chairman of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) despite its three earlier directions.
A social justice bench of justices M B Lokur and U U Lalit said the ministry had taken three adjournments since 2014 in the matter.
It also brushed aside the ministry's submission that the file for the appointment of Chairman, a post lying vacant for the past one and half years, was lying in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The bench imposed the fine on the ministry observing that failure to appoint the chairman was an "unexplained delay".
"Do not tell us PMO. We are not concerned. We will impose the cost," Justice Lokur said while rejecting the plea by Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh seeking another four weeks time.
"We do not know. We are not concerned. It cannot take one and a half years to appoint NCPCR Chairman. You speak to the PMO", it said after the ASG tried to stress upon the bench about the intricacies involved in the appointment process.
It asked the counsel to go through its three earlier orders saying, "If you do not accept an appointment, then reject it" but take a decision.
The bench also took exception to an affidavit filed by the Uttar Pradesh government which said it need not appoint state advisory committee as the High Court was seized of the matter and dealing with it.
"This is just too much. You are not going to do anything as the High court is doing it," the bench said after which counsel for UP government regretted to the sentence written in the affidavit and offered to amend it.
The court has now fixed the matter for September 18.
