CM pledges to revive Delhi women’s panel

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday launched a five-day Mahila Maha Jansunwai (public hearing) in Delhi to fast-track resolution of nearly 1,500 pending complaints by women. The event saw participation from Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, who assured “full administrative support” to the initiative and pledged to reconstitute the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), which has been non-functional for nearly a year.

“All the pending cases will be taken up for immediate action. The entire police and administrative setup will be present here, and continuous hearings will take place. Maximum cases will be resolved, and the affected women will get justice,” CM Gupta said at the event. She called the initiative a “good beginning” and promised that the Delhi government would act as a collaborator to ensure no woman in the capital faces injustice.

The Delhi government, she added, is also taking broader steps to enhance women’s safety. These include setting up 11 one-stop centres, installing thousands of CCTV cameras, eliminating dark spots through better lighting and connectivity, opening 500 crèches for working women, and providing ₹2,500 in monthly financial assistance to economically disadvantaged women.

Gupta confirmed that the DCW—whose chairperson, member secretary, and three nominated members completed their tenure in July 2023—will be reconstituted soon. “We have taken cognisance, and the Delhi Commission for Women would be constituted soon so that complaints from women can be heard more effectively,” she said.

To be sure, the DCW functions like a civil court and runs several programmes such as sahyogini, mahila panchayats, a rape crisis cell, a mobile helpline, and pre-marital counselling.

NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar urged women complainants to attend the Jansunwai and raise their grievances directly before authorities. Officials said priority will be given to existing complaints, but walk-in cases will also be addressed on the spot, where possible.

According to NCW data, Delhi ranks second after Uttar Pradesh in complaints received this year, with 253 cases of domestic violence topping the list.