‘DCW chief misusing govt funds’

Tribune News Service 

New Delhi, July 27

Former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Barkha Shukla Singh today wrote to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung seeking dissolution of current DCW-led by Swati Maliwal whom she has accused of “misusing” public funds used to pay salaries to the tune of Rs 70,000 to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers. 

However, Maliwal rejected all allegations as “mala fide and baseless” saying they are “laughable” to say the least. 

She also accused Maliwal of “disclosing” the name of the Burari rape victim. 

“....I would like to bring to your notice the financial and other irregularities encompassing the DCW. The budgetary allocation for the commission has been increased multiple folds from a mere three crore seventy five lakhs in 2013-14 to a staggering seven crores in 2016-17. This has been done in order to accommodate members and volunteers of AAP at high salaries...,” she said in the letter. 

“Ms Barkha Singh was the Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women for eight years. It is extremely sad that during her entire tenure, she did only one case. The present Chairperson, on the other hand has done over 400 cases in the last 1 year,” read a statement issued by the DCW. 

“She has left a terrible amount of pendency in the Commission which the present team is trying to clear by working day and night. In fact the Commission is now open even on Saturdays to ensure that the pendency is cleared. The Commission in the entire tenure of Ms. Barkha Singh of 8 years did not take up any study, hardly made any inspections and made only 1 recommendation to the Government,” the DCW’s statement added.