New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Delhi High Court alleging that the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has remained non-functional and inaccessible for a prolonged period, resulting in continuing violation of the constitutional and statutory rights of women in the national Capital.
The plea seeks urgent judicial intervention to restore the physical and administrative functioning of the DCW, which have allegedly become “operationally defunct” due to executive inaction and absence of leadership.
The PIL states that despite the DCW’s statutory mandate to protect women against violence, abuse, exploitation and discrimination, repeated attempts to access the Commission at its notified premises during regular working hours revealed that the office was “closed and unmanned, with no Helpdesk, officers or staff available for receipt or processing of grievances”.
The petition, filed by advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, alleged that the post of Chairperson of the DCW has remained vacant, leading to a complete absence of leadership, administrative direction and accountability.
According to the petitioner, this institutional paralysis has caused a cascading failure of statutory programmes, including the Sahyogini family counselling unit, the Helpdesk, the Rape Crisis Cell and Crisis Intervention Centres, thereby depriving women of immediate institutional support.
“The non-functioning of the Commission has resulted in a grave constitutional failure of the State in discharging its positive obligations towards women,” the plea said, adding that women-centric statutory institutions “cannot be allowed to be rendered dormant by executive inertia”.
The PIL further stated that detailed representations were submitted to the Delhi Chief Secretary and to the Lieutenant Governor, flagging the continued non-functioning of the DCW and the serious constitutional consequences flowing from it.
However, “despite the gravity of the issues raised, no effective remedial steps were taken,” compelling the petitioner to approach the Delhi High Court.
Seeking multiple reliefs, the petitioner sought directions to the authorities to “forthwith restore and ensure full physical and administrative functioning” of the DCW, deploy adequate officers and staff, and fill the vacant post of Chairperson within a fixed timeframe.
The PIL has also sought directions for issuance of a public notification clarifying the operational status and accessibility of the DCW and for filing of periodic compliance affidavits before the Delhi High Court indicating steps taken to secure functional compliance.
(IANS)
