Put me in jail , don’t torture women says MP Swati Maliwal after services of 223 employed in Women Commission removed

In a major decision of the office of Lt Governor of Delhi, the Delhi LG Vinay Saxena has issued orders for removing the services of 223 employees, majority working on on contractual basis at Delhi Commission of Women terming their appointments as illegal and arbitrary. It may be recalled that the appointments have been termed as arbitrary and illegal as according to the established rules and regulations of DCW Act only 40 employees can be recruited in the Commission and that too with the written concurrence of the LG of NCT of Delhi . It is said that in the present case under the outgoing chairperson of Delhi Commission of Women who has now resigned in view of her becoming the Rajya Sabha MP no consent and concurrence of the LG of Delhi was allegedly taken why appointing these employees majority of them in contractual basis. According to the order issued by the office of the Lt Governor removing the 223 employees from the women’s body the Delhi Commission of Women’s act categorically mentions that it can appoint only 40 employees whereas during the outgoing Chairperson Swati Maliwal, the DCW panel has sanctioned ( created) strength of 40 employees and 223 new posts not seeking the written consent and concurrence of the LG of Delhi, he being the final authority in this regard. An enquiry was submitted in 2017 to the LG in which is was found that these appointments were against the DCW Act and illegal. The order issued by the additional director of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of Delhi under which the Delhi govt also comes, though is a quasi judicial autonomous body, categorically says that no evaluation was done before making the appointments this putting additional financial burden and liability for the government. The former chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women and now the Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal has come down heavily on the Delhi LG writing in her social media handle X : LG sahab has issued a Tughlaqi order to remove all the contract staff of DCW. Today, the Women’s Commission has a total staff of 90 out of which only 8 people have been provided by the government, the rest are on 3-month contracts. If all the contract staff is removed, the Women’s Commission will be locked. Why are these people doing this? This institution has been built with blood and sweat. Instead of giving it staff and protection, you are destroying it from its roots? I will not let the Women’s Commission be closed as long as I am alive. Put me in jail, don’t torture women ! It may be recalled that when nine years ago Swati Maliwal took charge of Delhi Women’s Commission chairperson she removed all the personal staff especially those on contracts of the then outgoing chairperson Barkha Singh from Congress.