New Delhi: In a major setback to the ministry of women and child development, the law ministry has red-flagged a proposal to provide the National Commission of Women punitive powers to arrest and penalise people guilty of harassing women and ignoring summons. The law ministry has also questioned the move to have two separate selection panels for chairperson and members of the commission.
Sources said the law ministry is of the view that the commission cannot be given powers to arrest and penalise as these were the domain of the police and the judiciary. The law ministry has also pointed out that one selection panel was sufficient for the selection of chairperson and other members of the body.
Earlier the WCD ministry had proposed more powers.
