RTI stonewalled: No clarity on vacancies, appointments in Maharashtra State Commission for Women

Pune: A recent RTI query seeking details of appointments and vacancies in the Maharashtra State Commission for Women has yielded little beyond a reference to govt’s statutory powers despite the National Commission for Women (NCW) urging states to expedite appointments to state panels.

In a reply received on June 2, the women and child development (WCD) department informed city-based RTI activist Vihar Durve that the appointment of the commission’s chairperson and six non-official members was carried out under powers vested in state govt under the Maharashtra State Commission for Women Act, 1993.

Durve had sought details regarding the appointment process, vacant posts in the commission and the timeline for filling them. However, the department did not furnish any specific information and only cited Section 3 and other relevant provisions of the Act under which appointments are made.

“The purpose of my RTI was to find out about the vacancies and when the appointments will take place, not about the rules governing appointments,” Durve told TOI.

Former chairperson Rupali Chakankar resigned from the post on March 20, while the tenure of the commission’s non-official members ended in Jan. The state govt is yet to announce a new chairperson.

The Maharashtra State Commission for Women is a statutory body tasked with safeguarding women’s rights and addressing issues related to gender justice in the state.

The issue gained importance as 2,761 complaints were pending before the Maharashtra State Commission for Women at the end of the last financial year, said Durve, citing information obtained through another RTI query. The commission had disposed of 15,560 cases during 2025-26.

Marital disputes emerged as the single-largest category of unresolved cases.

Women’s rights activists and social sector workers have said the state govt’s WCD department should carry out appointments early. They have even said the next appointment should go to a person with a background in social work and women’s rights rather than a political nominee, citing the rising number of complaints and the growing backlog.

Durve said he would study the RTI response and decide on further action, including filing a first appeal under the RTI Act if necessary.