Swati Maliwal Condemns VK Saxena for DCW Staff Termination; LG Office Retorts

In a recent turn of events, the former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief, Swati Maliwal, criticized the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena, for his decision to terminate contractual employees of the commission. Maliwal expressed concerns over the operational capability of the DCW following the dismissal of a significant portion of its staff. The Lieutenant Governor's office responded to these allegations by accusing Maliwal of attempting to deflect from her own misconduct related to a recruitment scam.

Maliwal, during a press briefing, highlighted that the DCW operates with 90 staff members, out of which only eight are permanent. The rest, she noted, are contractual workers engaged on three-month contracts and are essential for running critical services such as the women helpline, crisis intervention centre, rape crisis cell, and Mahila Panchayat. She questioned the feasibility of these services continuing with such a reduced workforce.

The Women and Child Development (WCD) Department of the Delhi government took action against 52 contractually employed staff members of the DCW, citing their illegal appointment. This decision was based on a report from June 2017 and was approved by Saxena. Maliwal, who led the DCW for nine years, mentioned that her team is exploring legal options in response to these terminations.

Maliwal defended her tenure and the work done by the DCW, stating that issues regarding contractual staff never arose during her leadership. She also pointed out the commission's proactive role in addressing women's issues, including raising its voice over incidents like those in Manipur and against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Furthermore, Maliwal shared stories of affected DCW staffers through videos on her official X handle. Among them were acid attack survivors who emphasized the importance of their jobs at DCW for their independence and recovery. Maliwal underscored the significant achievements of the DCW under her leadership, including handling 1.7 lakh cases and conducting numerous awareness programs and counselling sessions for sexual assault survivors.

The dispute between Maliwal and the Lieutenant Governor's office underscores a broader debate on governance and accountability within public institutions tasked with protecting women's rights and welfare in Delhi.