DCW discontinues services for all contractual staff; 223 lose jobs

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) in an order on Monday, discontinued the services of all its contractual staff with immediate effect.

The commission was headed by Swati Maliwal, who vacated the post after her election as Rajya Sabha members.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) blamed the role of the BJP behind the move saying that it was disappointing that the party "cruelly" chose Diwali, to render hundreds of DCW staff jobless and effectively 'terminating' their families' celebrations.

The DCW cited an order of Women and Child Development (WCD) order dated April 29 granting it approval of the Lt Governor for the termination of the staff.

The services of all the contractual staff appointed at any point in time are discontinued with immediate effect, said the DCW order.

Official sources claimed that the contractual staff were recruited against the rules and there were complaints of illegality in the hiring process.

A total of 223 contractual posts were created in DCW but 52 staff were engaged with the commission when the WCD had discontinued their service in April this year, they said.

Though the direction to terminate the DCW contractual staff was issued in April, the DCW office order was issued on Monday and communicated to the employees, they added.

A committee appointed by the then LG had submitted a report in June 2017 recommending that the appointment of contractual staff engaged without having sanctioned posts and without following the due procedure cannot be allowed to continue, sources added.

The AAP said it was "paradoxical" that while the BJP promised to regularise contractual staff after coming to power in Delhi, the LG appointed by their Central government terminated the services of DCW staff.

No response was available immediately from the BJP over AAP's charges.