(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal has appealed to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to address the shutdown of as many as 181 women helpline and the "systemic erosion" of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) since her resignation.
In a letter to the Delhi CM, the Rajya Sabha MP highlighted several issues plaguing the DCW, including lack of funding, budget cuts, and staff removals. She stressed that the post of DCW chief has remained vacant since her nomination to the Rajya Sabha by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
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"I am writing this letter to bring attention to how the Delhi Government has been systematically dismantling the DCW since my resignation from the position of chairperson in January 2024. It is deeply regrettable that the systems that I painstakingly built since 2015, are being destroyed by the Government," Maliwal wrote.
"As the Chief Minister of a city infamous as the 'Rape Capital of the World,' it is crucial to safeguard systems that protect women and girls," she added.
Maliwal described the shutdown of the 181 women helpline as "appalling," asserting that survivors of rape and other crimes have been without crucial assistance for the past 48 hours.
Her letter followed a statement by Delhi Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Kailash Gahlot, who announced that the 181 helpline would now be managed by his department instead of the DCW. Gahlot indicated that the number would be temporarily closed for transition.
"The commission has been informed that the order was issued after the approval of the concerned minister and is supposedly in compliance with a Central government directive which states that 181 Women Helpline should be run by WCD departments in states," the letter said.
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Maliwal argued that since the DCW operates under the WCD Department, there was no need to transfer the helpline's management. She also alleged that funding to the commission had been halted, crippling its operations.
"This funding deprivation over the past six months has crippled the commission... the dedicated women ground staff members of the commission, many of whom are survivors of atrocities like acid attacks and sexual assault, have been deprived of their rightful salaries since November 2023," Maliwal wrote.
She further noted that the DCW's budget had been unexpectedly reduced by Rs 10 crore, a 28.5 percent cut. Additionally, she claimed that the WCD department ordered the immediate removal of all contractual staff from the DCW in April 2024.
Maliwal, who recently accused Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar of assault, called on the Chief Minister to take immediate action to restore the helpline and support the DCW's operations.
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