Pay February salary, 25% of arrears to DCW staff: HC

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) to disburse February salary and 25 per cent of past arrears of 2016 to its workers to help them meet essential expenses, including paying their children’s fees.

A case was filed by the contractual staff of DCW due to non-payment of wages since September 2016 and was listed before Sanjeev Sachdeva. Earlier in December, DCW chief Swati Maliwal had told the court that the employees were engaged as the Commission was facing severe manpower shortage as the government had not met its staff requirement.

After the request of the Commission, the High Court on the very first date had impleaded the Lieutenant Governor as a party and issued notices in the regard of the same.

Later, an affidavit that questioned the autonomy of the Commission and legality of the appointments was filed on behalf of the present LG which also stated that the Commission did not have any official order to implement programmes as it is a recommendatory body.

On the contrary, the Commission filed a counter affidavit which stated that the submissions of the LG were factually incorrect about its various programmes and that all programmes were granted permission by the Legislative Assembly. Also, that implementing programmes is a mandate of the Commission under Section 10 of the Act.

Meanwhile, DCW claimed that programmes which included the Rape Crisis Cell, Crisis Intervention Centres, 181 Women helpline, Mobile Helpline, Acid Watch Cell, etc were means of investigating and examining matters of violation of rights of women included in the Constitution and other laws.

The court later asked the LG counsel to clarify if the Commission did not have the mandate to run these programmes and that if the Commission should be closed.

Only one month’s salary of the employees is still pending and the next date of hearing is on March 30, 2017.