As many as 223 employees from the Delhi Women Commission (DCW) were removed with immediate effect on the order of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. According to the Department of Women and Child Development, the then chairperson of the DCW, Swati Maliwal, had appointed them on contract without the government’s permission, going against the rules.
The creation of said 223 posts and engagement of contractual staff by the DCW were “irregular as the laid down procedure was not followed and the approval of the Hon’ble LG had not been taken,” the order stated.
“Further, the enhancement of the remuneration and allowances to the staff of DCW was without adequate justification and in violation of the laid down procedures and guidelines,” the order added.
It further stated, “…taking cognizance of all these irregularities and illegalities made by DCW, the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor has approved the proposal of the department that the appointments of contractual staff engaged in DCW without having sanctioned posts and without following due procedures is void- ab-initio and the same cannot be allowed to continue in DCW.”
“Therefore, the approval of the Government is hereby conveyed to Delhi Commission for Women to discontinue the services of all contractual staff with immediate effect who have been appointed by DCW at any point of time, by going beyond its delegated power and without following various procedures laid down and in violation of DCW Act/ rules/regulations/guidelines issued by Govt. of NCT of Delhi from time to time,” the order further noted.
According to officials, the termination has been carried out on the basis of a report submitted by a committee way back in June 2017.
The DCW Department sent a proposal based on the recommendations of the committee to Lt Governor V K Saxena, who approved it, following which the department issued the order, they said.
Swati Maliwal Slams LG Over Termination of DCW Contractual Staff
Swati Maliwal called it a “Tughlaqi order” issued by LG Saxena, accusing him of “destroying” DCW instead of “giving it staff and protection”. Mailwal also vowed she would not let the Women’s Commission be closed “as long as I am alive”.
“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!” an X post by Swati Maliwal read.
Maliwal, who served as the DCW chief for nine years, said that as per her information the present team at the commission was “exercising legal option” although the order has not been implemented so far.
She added that the issue of contractual staff was never raised during her tenure as DCW chairperson. “Is this their politics that rapists will roam free and the commission for women will be shut down. What will LG gain from such a narrow and negative view?” Maliwal questioned.
No immediate reaction was available from the LG office over Maliwal’s allegations. She also claimed that the DCW was the first women’s body to raise its voice over issues like the Manipur incident and complaints of female wrestlers against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
“If they are angry with me they can send all the agencies after me and put me in jail, the Rajya Sabha MP said. She said the DCW should be preserved and provided with funds and staff to work to help the women. The DCW has done wonderful work in the last few years and “all this was not done alone by Swati Maliwal. It was done by a team that includes acid attack, rape and domestic violence survivors, who are emerging out of their personal pains to help women,” she said.
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