DCW for inclusion of LG and HM in women safety panel

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) today suggested setting up of a high-level committee on women safety comprising the Lieutenant Governor, the Union Home Minister and others, claiming a panel led by the Chief Secretary will not be as effective as it cannot fix accountability of Delhi Police.
"DCW believes that since Delhi Police does not report to Delhi government, little will be achieved from the Chief Secretary's core group meeting on women safety in terms of fixing the accountability of police.
As the administrative head of Delhi Police, only the Lt Governor can ensure the accountability of Delhi Police," DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal said.

She claimed that the task of ensuring a safe environment for women and girls in Delhi was becoming increasingly complicated.
The Commission thus has passed a resolution on the 2nd meeting of the core group and has urged the Chief Secretary to request the LG to notify the thana-level committees and notify the revised Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme 2015, which increases the compensation amount for rape and acid attack victims from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 7 lakh. The scheme was approved by Delhi government in September 2015.
She said these proposed thana-level committees have a huge mandate to promote interaction between the police and public and provide a forum for the public to raise concerns regarding law and order and find constructive solutions to the problems faced by the community.

"It is pertinent to point out that women constitute only

9.5 per cent of Delhi Police. Creating additional posts in Delhi Police will give an opportunity to improve this skewed ratio... I believe that this will be the most significant investment by the central government to ensure ideal law and order situation in Delhi," she said.
Maliwal further highlighted the issues related to non-filing of charge-sheets, quality of investigation, human trafficking and posting of a sensitive woman police officer in GB Road, the city's red light area, and improving the information system of Delhi Police for human trafficking that need to resolved.

In the second meeting, she also urged the chief secretary to take stock of the efforts of Delhi government on all issues of women safety like increasing the number of fast-track courts, establishing separate courts for POCSO cases, ensuring timely and proper forensic reports on cases of crime against women, strengthening the prosecution department.
Other issues include installation of CCTV cameras in buses and in other places in Delhi, notifying a comprehensive rehabilitation policy for victims of trafficking, improving the condition of shelter homes, rehabilitation centres and working women hostels, notification of Local Complaints Committees under the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, 2013.

The first meeting of the core group was held on November 10 last year. The LG recently informed the Commission that he will not chair the Committee and that chief secretary will chair the next meeting.