Delhi Lt. Governor Cracks Down on DCW: 223 Contractual Employees Appointed by Ex-Chief Swati Maliwal Axed

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, VK Saxena, has directed the removal of 223 contractual employees from the Delhi Commission for Women with immediate effect. This action was taken due to alleged unauthorized appointments made by the former DCW chairperson, Swati Maliwal, during her tenure, according to the Department of Women and Child Development.

The order issued by the Lieutenant Governor's office cites violations of the Delhi Commission for Women Act, stating that the commission exceeded its sanctioned staff strength by creating 223 new posts without approval. Additionally, it mentions that the commission lacked the authority to hire employees on a contractual basis without prior approval.

“DCW has violated the statutory provisions of DCW Act, 1994 and various standing instructions of the Department of Finance & Planning Department, GNCTD by creating 223 posts and engaging staff without following due procedure i.e. no study was conducted to assess the actual requirement of additional staff and eligibility criteria for each post, no administrative approval and expenditure sanctioned was obtained from the GNCTD for engaging such manpower and applications for such posts were not formally invited, role and responsibility for any of these posts were not assigned and emoluments of some of the incumbents which were decided at the time of initial appointment, were enhanced very sharply and arbitrarily,” reads the order.

The order highlights irregularities in the appointment process, including the absence of a study to assess staffing needs, failure to obtain administrative approval or funding, and the absence of formal job applications and role assignments. It states that the appointments were deemed void-ab-initio due to these violations.

As per the order, a probe found that the appointments were not made following proper procedures, and the remuneration provided to staff was increased without justification or adherence to guidelines. Despite repeated advisories, Swati Maliwal allegedly failed to seek approval from the finance department regarding the appointments.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Swati Maliwal have not yet responded to the allegations. This development adds to the ongoing tensions between the Lieutenant Governor's office and the AAP government over governance issues in Delhi. The AAP has accused the Lieutenant Governor's office of obstructing its governance initiatives, while the Lieutenant Governor, appointed by the central government, has faced criticism from the AAP for perceived interference in Delhi's administration.