SHILLONG, Oct 13: The Congress has slammed the state government over the delay in the appointment of the chairperson of Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW).
The post has been lying vacant since October last year.
“It is sad to see that this chair has been kept vacant for a long time. I do not know the government’s mind. The Social Welfare Minister or the Chief Minister has to clarify why the appointment of the person to the post, which is so important, is being delayed,” Mawsynram MLA and Congress spokesperson, HM Shangpliang categorically said.
Stating that women are being abused and their rights violated every day, Shangpliang asked, “Who would be looking into all these aspects of protection if there is none on this chair. We are not doing justice”.
He appealed to the government, particularly Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, to ensure the chairperson’s appointment immediately.
Earlier, the Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) had urged Sangma to set up a committee for facilitating the formation of the new Commission after the expiry of the previous chairperson’s tenure.
The TUR had stated that the delay in the chairperson’s appointment greatly affected women seeking redressal on issues of violence, abandonment, maintenance etc and denial of constitutional rights and for whom the Commission should have been readily accessible.
Last month, Sangma had said the delay was caused by the pandemic.
He had stated that the
appointment entails a process and one cannot simply sit in a room and appoint the chairperson and the members of the Commission. He had also said that the matter of appointment was in an advanced stage.
