Jaipur, July 26 -- Nearly 3,000 complaints involving harassment, domestic violence and dowry-related offences are pending before the Rajasthan State Commission for Women, which has remained without a chairperson and members for more than a year. The commission comprises a chairperson and three members, each appointed for a three-year term. However, none of the posts has been filled since the previous incumbents completed their tenures. In April, the Rajasthan high court issued a notice to the state government, taking cognisance of the vacancies. A petition filed by an NGO said the post of chairperson has been vacant since February 11, 2025, while the three members' posts have remained vacant since March 3, March 9 and March 21, 2025, respectively. The petition said around 2,900 complaints are pending before the commission because of the vacancies, leaving women unable to secure speedy justice in cases involving harassment, dowry deaths and domestic violence. The commission which was established in 1999, the Rajasthan State Commission for Women is a quasi-judicial body empowered to summon officials, seek police reports, conduct inquiries and recommend action in cases involving crimes against women and violations of women's rights. An official in the women and child development department, requesting anonymity, said the delay in appointments has brought the commission's functioning to a halt. "The Commission's rehabilitation schemes and public hearings have come to a standstill. But we cannot say when the appointments will be made. It is the government's prerogative," she said. Former heads of the commission, cutting across party lines, said the prolonged delay amounts to an injustice to women seeking redress. Former chairperson and Congress leader Rehana Riyaz Chishti said, "It's almost 18 months since my tenure got over but unfortunately no appointment has been made." She said the commission plays a vital role in monitoring and resolving crimes against women. "Appointments should be made without delay otherwise women victims are being denied a hearing and resolution of their cases. But the state government is taking it lightly." Chishti said the commission disposed of 25,000 cases during her tenure. "Apart from hearings in Jaipur, the commission members travelled to different districts and held hearings there," she said. Former chairperson and senior BJP leader Suman Sharma echoed Chishti's concerns. "The commission is a quasi-judicial body. Officials stay vigilant and responsive to cases that are sent by the women's commission for disposal." Sharma said successive governments had delayed appointments to the commission. "When I completed my term in 2018, the commission had disposed of 32,000 cases." "However, the Congress government delayed the next appointment by three years and the cases piled up again," Sharma further added. Women's rights activist Kavita Srivastava said, "This trend in delaying appointments has started in the last 10 years." "The governments do not believe in democratic institutions. The women's commission can haul up officials for omissions but governments do not want to be held accountable."...