Govt misleads HC over women commission chairman’s term

The state government has misled the Bombay High Court in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) related to the State Women Commission. While the government informed the court that the term of the chairperson of State Woman Commission has expired, the fact is that the current chairman's term will end after two years.

Generally, after a regime change, all political appointees suo moto resign to make way for new appointments, even though their term is not over. But the current chairman, Vijaya Rahatkar, who is also Bhartiya Janata Party leader, has not yet resigned voluntarily. It seems that she will not resign on her own. She was first appointed as president in February 2016. After her threeyear term ended in February 2019, she was once again appointed for the same post for another three years, which means that she can continue to work till February 2022.

On Wednesday, Bombay High Court had a hearing on a PIL filed by Vihar Durve on the issue of appointments in the commission. The state government informed the court that the term of the chairperson of the commission has expired and the process of conveying this to her is underway.

"The commission is a statuary body, which has quasi judicial power. Like other corporations or advisors post, my posting is not political, which ends with the change of government. My term is yet to end," Rahatkar told FPJ. Women and Child Development Minister Yeshomati Thakur was not available for comment on this issue.