SHILLONG, April 23: The VPP on Tuesday questioned the state government over the delay in appointment of the chairperson of the Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW), while juxtaposing this limbo and the purported swift political appointments that take place in the state.
“It is highly unfortunate that the state government does not feel the urgency to appoint the Chairperson of the women’s commission. When they can swiftly appoint political appointees for no apparent benefit to the state, why does it take so long for the government to appoint the chairperson,” VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said on Tuesday.
Referring to the recent incidents of rape and sexual assault, Myrboh emphasised on the safety of citizens. “Incidents of rape and other crimes as reported in most recent times are condemnable,” he added.
He questioned if Meghalaya lacks “capable women” to lead the commission. “This shows that the priority of the government lies somewhere but not on governance,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, sources in the MSCW have informed that the delay in the appointment of the new chairperson has affected the overall functioning of the commission.
“The delay only reflects that the state government is not giving due importance to the commission. In other states, the appointment of a chairperson happens within two weeks,” a source said.
It may be mentioned that Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh had recently stated that it will take a matter of weeks for the government to take a final decision on the appointment of the new chairperson of MSCW.
