PTC News Desk: AAP Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, urging him to look into the Delhi government's "systematic dismantling" of systems for protecting women and children.

Swati Maliwal claimed in the letter that since her resignation in January 2024, the Delhi administration has been dismantling the systems she created during her eight-year tenure.

Key issues raised by Swati Maliwal

• One of the key issues raised by the AAP MP was the Delhi government's arbitrary takeover of the commission's 181 helpline for distressed women and children. The government took over the Commission's helpline, which it then closed on July 1. Maliwal further stated: "Since over 48 hours, survivors of rape and other crimes have been left without crucial assistance."
• The former DCW chief also expressed concern about the commission's funding and budget cuts. She claimed that the annual budget was reduced by Rs 10 crore and funds were halted for six months. 
• She also claimed that contractual staff, who make up the majority of the commission, are being removed, leaving the body unable to function.
• Maliwal also claims that several leadership positions, including chairperson, are vacant, preventing the Commission from functioning properly. 
• In her letter, she states that the requirement to have at least one Dalit member in an essential position is not being met.
• “Over the past 8 years, my team and I have painstakingly built the commission from scratch, which has resulted in it becoming the most efficient women's commission in the country,” she added.

She urged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to stop the Delhi government's 'deliberate disintegration' of the DCW. She went on to say, "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."

- PTC NEWS

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