DCW urges CM, Speaker to reconstitute thana level panels

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal has asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Assembly Speaker and legislators to use their good offices to help reconstitute thana level committees in view of rising crimes against women.
The Commission in its reported letters has highlighted the rapes of three minor girls during Holi and domestic violence and death of a socialite.
In her letter, Maliwal explained the importance of constituting thana level committees which were in existence in for several years.
However, they have not been notified by the LG for the past year and finally got scrapped, Maliwal said.

In the letter, Maliwal has highlighted the pivotal role that thana level committees can play in fixing the accountability of the Delhi Police towards women and ensuring greater societal participation in fighting crime against them.
Each thana level committee is headed by the MLA of the area and consists of members of MCD, NDMC or Cantonment Board having jurisdiction of Police Station concerned, SDM, ACP, SHO of the area, representatives from Residential Welfare Association, Trade/Industry Associations (if any), educational institutions, women's organizations, and representatives of students and labour community.

"In fact, even the new Commissioner of Delhi Police, has emphasized the need for strengthening the grievance redressal mechanism of Delhi Police. What better way to institutionalize the same, than at the community level, with synergistic feedback loops between the elected representatives, administrators, police and other such bodies?," Maliwal said in a statement.

In the letter the Commission has also expressed shock at the scrapping of thana Level Committees, saying it "fails to fathom the reason behind this decision of Hon'ble LG. In fact, the LG himself has himself praised the thana level committees in 2014."
The decision of the LG to scrap the thana level committees is "anti-women and anti-democratic", Maliwal said, adding , "I urge them to debate the issue, pass a resolution on the same and ensure the constitution and proper functioning of thana level committees in Delhi.