The ex-staff of Women Helpline ‘181’continued to protest outside the Secretariat even as the helpline has been transferred to Delhi Commission for Women on Thursday.
The ‘181’ helpline for women in Delhi will now function under the Delhi Commission for Women with the AAP Government handing over its charge to the panel.
“Women Helpline 181 handed over to DCW. Have very big plans for it. Soon it will be made most effective women’s helpline in country,” DCW chief Swati Maliwal tweeted.
A letter written by the Delhi Government stated that the protest by the ex-employees is disrupting the smooth movement and asked the concerned Delhi Police personnel to ensure strict compliance of section 144 or CrPC as the demonstrators are protesting at Secretariat Building Gate no.6 despite prohibitory orders. “The ex-staff have been demonstrating at Gate no. 6 of Delhi Secretariat since 10.02.2016, which is still going on without a break,” the letter read.
So far the helpline was under the Delhi Government but after the meetings in the last few weeks between the Women and Child Development department and Maliwal this decision was taken.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Government has appointed a consultant Raj Khachru for the helpline instead of Khadija Farooqui.
According to DCW sources, the helpline is likely to get a makeover under the Commission which is planning to increase the staff and the number of outdoor and indoor volunteers. Also, more offices are likely to be opened so that the complaints received on the helpline could be acted upon as soon as possible. The move is significant in the backdrop of a tussle between the helpline staff and the AAP Government.
Recently, the head of the women’s helpline had also protested outside Delhi Secretariat alleging she was being harassed by officials in the WCD department after she raised the issue of financial irregularities.
The helpline was launched by the then Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit after a 23-year-old physiotherapist was gangraped in a moving bus on December 16, 2012. She died at a hospital in Singapore on December 29. Between 2013 and 2015, the helpline received 12,75,000 calls and 6,66,000 cases were registered.