The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Monday issued an order terminating the services of all contract workers with immediate effect. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of taking the move. The party said it was disappointing that the BJP had rendered hundreds of DCW employees jobless during festivals like Diwali, thereby taking away the happiness of their families.
The Delhi Commission for Women cited an April 29 order issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development as the reason for the decision, which allowed the Lieutenant Governor to terminate the services of contractual employees. “The services of all contractual employees appointed at any time will be terminated with immediate effect,” the DCW order said.
Official sources said the contract workers were recruited in violation of regulations and complaints of irregularities in the recruitment process were also received.
According to sources, a total of 223 contract positions were created at DCW, but 52 employees were paid commissions before WCD terminated its services in April this year. Although the directive to terminate the services of DCW contract employees was issued in April, the office order of the commission was issued on Monday and communicated to the employees. A committee appointed by the former lieutenant governor submitted a report in June 2017 recommending that contract employees should not be appointed to unapproved positions and without following proper procedures.
AAP said it was “contradictory” that the BJP, on the one hand, promised to regularize contractual employees after coming to power in Delhi, but on the other hand, the lieutenant governor appointed by them terminated the services of DCW employees. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP to AAP’s allegations.