GANDHINAGAR: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Justice Varma has directed the State Government to ensure that the reconstruction and rehabilitation operations launched by it in the quake-ravaged parts of Gujarat in general, the worst-hit Kutch in particular, are carried out in right earnest.

The NHRC chief, who visited Bhuj and other affected areas of Kutch on Friday-Saturday, also directed the government to ensure that minorities and Dalits were not being discriminated in providing relief materials and disbursing compensation amount.

Senior IAS official P Pannirvel, the additional chief executive officer of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority, and Social Justice and Empowerment Deparment's Secretary R M Patel were sent from here to Bhuj toapprise the NHRC chairman of the rehabilitation measures launched by thegovernment in Kutch and other affected parts of the State.

During his two-day visit to Kutch, Varma met representatives of the variousNGOs engaged in the rehabilitation work and also received representationsfrom groups of quake victims, many of them having aired their grievances about the sloppy R & R measures being implemented in the district.The NHRC chairman suggested that the judiciary at the district-level should look into the complaints and dispose them quickly so as to rehabilitate thequake victims speedily. ``The government has to rehabilitate the victims withrespect and dignity, and it should not consider the rehabilitation work as a charity,'' he was reported to have remarked during his visit.

On his return from Bhuj on Saturday night, P Pannirvel told this website's newspaper that he had briefed Varma about the R & R measures being initiated by the government in the quake-hit parts of the State. "The NHRC chief was satisfied with all this," the official claimed.

R M Patel apprised Varma of the measures being taken by the government torehabilitate the orphans, widows and destitutes in the quake-affected areas. Patel also informed the NHRC chairman about the government rehabilitating the orphans within the frame work of the adoption policy.