The Delhi Commission for Women has urged lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung to notify district officers on an urgent basis for the purpose of constituting a local complaints committee (LCC) in every district to hear cases of sexual harassment at workplaces in the capital.
In a letter to Mr Jung, DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal said, “Under Sections 5 and 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, a district officer has to be notified by the appropriate government, who has to constitute the local complaints committee in every district.”
“However, it is sad to note that even after two years of the passage of the act, the district officers and thus the local complaints committees under the act have not been notified in Delhi till date. This implies that in an establishment of less than 10 workers or if the sexual harassment complaint pertains to the employer of a company, the complainant is denied any recourse,” she said.
“This is a very serious matter and calls for immediate attention. There has already been a considerable delay in this regard. It cannot be overemphasised that the act virtually exists on paper and steps are yet to taken for its effective implementation,” she said, adding the commission has been receiving a large number of complaints regarding sexual harassment at workplaces. Earlier, Ms Maliwal had written to the Union home ministry see-king clarification on the definition of the term “appropriate government.”
“As per the MHA reply, the lieutenant-governor, the Government of NCT of Delhi has been delegated power of the ‘appropriate government’ under the said Act,” she said.
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act lays out a mechanism for the constitution of the internal complaints committee and local complaints committee.
