Pune: Maharashtra State Commission for Women has been without a chairperson for nearly seven months, while all six non-official member posts have remained vacant since Jan 2025. The prolonged vacancies have raised concerns among activists over delays in hearings, complaint disposal and relief for women seeking the commission’s intervention.The commission has written to state govt twice, seeking appointments to fill the posts. “The state government is understood to be considering the appointment of seven members to the panel, with the selection process expected to take into account candidates’ knowledge and experience of women’s issues,” a source from the commission said on Saturday.The commission has had no chairperson since March 20, when former state election commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar resigned. The terms of its six non-official members ended in Jan 2025, but no fresh appointments have been made.The vacancies have affected the functioning of the statutory, quasi-judicial body, said a former commission member. Its work depends on collective decision-making, and the absence of a chairperson and non-official members can weaken its ability to examine grievances, scrutinise complaints and pursue cases.Between April 1 and Aug 31, the commission handled 7,426 complaints, including 2,761 carried forward from earlier periods and 4,665 new cases. It disposed of 5,549, leaving 1,875 pending. These included 916 marital disputes and 578 complaints relating to social issues.The commission disposed of 15,560 cases in 2025, averaging around 1,300 a month. Its average monthly disposal between April and Aug this year fell to around 1,110, a decline of nearly 14%. In Aug, it disposed of 1,075 complaints against a caseload of 2,950.“At any given time, a little over 2,000 cases are always pending. With no members appointed, it only delays it further,” the commission source said.National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has also written to state govt, urging it to fill the vacancies.The issue came under scrutiny after an RTI reply obtained by Pune-based activist Vihar Durve revealed that 2,761 complaints were pending as of March 31, 2026. The backlog had risen from 2,550 in Dec 2025 to 2,637 in Jan 2026.The commission’s mandated structure comprises nine members: a chairperson, six non-official members, a member secretary and an ex-officio police officer.Durve said the delay could hamper the commission’s functioning and deprive women of timely relief. He said it violated the Maharashtra State Commission for Women Act, 1993, and pointed to repeated high court directions on timely appointments.“Govt should not delay the appointments unnecessarily, especially when so many cases are pending,” he said.
