New Delhi: Delhi High Court has warned the women and child development (WCD) department that any further delay in filling vacancies in Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) would be viewed seriously and could invite adverse orders.At a recent hearing, the court directed the secretary of the WCD department to file an affidavit indicating the status of the vacancies and the timeline for filling them. The department has been given time until Nov 18 to file the affidavit.“The court makes the respondent sensitive about the warning which was issued,” a bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma observed, referring to its Feb order cautioning authorities against any further delay.The court also sought a response from the Centre on the current composition and availability of members of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).“We have been informed that the NCPCR is working only with one chairperson and no other members. We would also like to have the views from the affidavit of the ministry of women and child development to the said effect,” the bench observed.The court was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by National Child Development Council, along with a suo motu matter raising concerns over the prolonged non-functionality of the child rights body.In Feb, the high court had expressed displeasure over the delay in filling vacancies in DCPCR and pulled up the govt over the issue.Govt’s counsel had then submitted that the relevant file was pending with the “highest authority” for a final decision and that an application seeking additional time to complete the process had been filed.The court had reprimanded the Delhi govt for “attempting to justify” a delay of more than two-and-a-half years in appointing the DCPCR chairperson and members, warning that the matter would be “viewed seriously” if the posts were not filled by mid-April.Asking the govt to “re-think”, the bench had observed that it was at a “complete loss of words” over the authorities’ failure to ensure that the commission remained functional after 2023.
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