Beyond the Mandate? HC Advocate demands clarification on Haryana's women panel tenure
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 18, 2025: In a significant development, Advocate Hemant Kumar, a practicing lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court and a resident of Haryana, has submitted a formal memorandum-cum-public representation to key constitutional and administrative functionaries of the State, urging an amendment to Section 4(1) of the Haryana State Commission for Women Act, 2012.
The representation, addressed to Governor of Haryana, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Women and Child Development Minister Shruti Choudhry, and senior officials including IAS officers Sudhir Rajpal and Monica Malik, draws attention to alleged legal anomaly concerning the tenure of the incumbent Chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women, Renu Bhatia.
As per the Act, the tenure of the Chairperson is clearly defined as not exceeding three years. Bhatia was appointed on 17 January 2022 and assumed charge on 19 January 2022, thus completing her statutory term on 18 January 2025. However, the government, through a letter issued on 26 November 2024, extended her term “till further orders,” allowing her to continue in office beyond the prescribed period.
Hemant Kumar argues that this extension is ultra vires (beyond the legal power or authority) of Section 4(1) of the Act, which does not currently permit such a continuation once the three-year term is completed.He contends that the continuation of Smt. Bhatia in the role since 19 January 2025, without a formal amendment to the law, is legally untenable.
In light of this, the advocate has requested the State Government to bring a suitable legislative amendment to Section 4(1) of the Act during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, likely to be held in August 2025. Such an amendment, he suggests, would ensure legal conformity and uphold the legislative intent of the original Act.
The memorandum has also been marked to Sh. Pravindra Singh Chauhan, Advocate General of Haryana, and Smt. Ritu Garg, Legal Remembrancer, among others, for appropriate legal review and action.