Appointment of Member Secy by LG attack on DCW’s autonomy: Maliwal

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Wednesday said IAS officer Dilraj Kaur’s appointment as Member Secretary of DCW by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung was an attempt to attack the “autonomy and independence” of the Commission.

Kaur, Secretary (Social Welfare), was on Tuesday given the additional charge as Member Secretary of DCW by Jung, much to the dislike of ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

“The appointment of Kaur is an attempt to attack the autonomy and independence of the Commission. The LG though his actions is scuttling the functioning of the Commission.

“The appointment of the member secretary is unconstitutional and illegal as due procedure has not been followed. The nomination by the Delhi government and its concurrence, which is a prerequisite for the appointment of the member secretary has not been taken,” Maliwal said in a statement.

She added that the DCW will be appealing to the President, seeking his intervention in the matter.

Maliwal said DCW “does not accept” Kaur’s appointment because she continues to be Secretary (Department of Women and Child Development) and the Commission almost constantly issues notices to it on issues relating to serious lapses in shelter homes like Nari Niketan, Nirmal Chaya etc., development of rehabilitation scheme for victims, creation of creches and monitors its various functions.

She claimed the LG had earlier unilaterally made the appointment of Alka Dewan as the member secretary during whose tenure three month’s salaries of entire contractual staff of the Commission, many of whom have been working since 1998, were “withheld”.