Home Min to disband spl task force on women's safety in Delhi

The Union Home Ministry has decided to disband the Special Task Force on women's safety in Delhi, a move which Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Thursday termed as "highly retrograde" and "anti-women".

It appealed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh to review the decision, saying the STF is the only forum in the capital for coordination between the Centre and the state on the issue of women's safety. The task force was established in 2013 in the aftermath of the brutal Nirbhaya gangrape.

"Crimes against women and girls are increasing and in May 2016 alone, Delhi witnessed over 201 cases of rape of which 82 were of minors. Worse still, in 31 cases, the victims were between the ages of 2 to 13 years. In light of these horrifying numbers, it is appalling that instead of strengthening the institutional mechanisms for fighting crimes against women in the state, the Home Ministry is disbanding the Special Task Force which is the only forum existing in Delhi for cooperative coordination between the Centre and the state on the issue of women safety," said DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal in a letter to Singh.
 

"This highly retrograde step by the Home Ministry also appears to be a direct reaction to two notices issued by the Delhi Commission of Women to the Union Home Secretary in a bid to make the Special Task Force on women safety more effective and regular," she alleged.

"Sir, every time I met you, I have always felt a renewed faith in your good intentions towards ensuring women safety in Delhi. However, I have waited ten long months for a positive action on your end. With folded hands, I appeal to your conscience and request you to kindly review the ill-fated anti-women decision of the Home Ministry of disbanding the Special Task Force on Women's Safety in Delhi," she said.

Maliwal said the Commission has been informed that the Home Ministry, while ordering disbanding of the STF, has requested the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to reconstitute a task force under his Chairmanship consisting of the representatives of the Delhi Police, GNCTD and other related officials, which she said was "strange" as the "LG has once previously failed to heed to a request to set up a committee on women safety in November 2015 and had instead delegated the task to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government".