New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women has urged the Lt Governor 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 Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal said, "Under Section 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 LCC 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 LCCs 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 overemphasized 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 workplace.
Earlier, Maliwal had written to Ministry of Home Affairs seeking clarification on the definition of the term 'appropriate government'.
"As per the reply of Ministry of Home Affairs, the Lieutenant Governor, 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 ICC and LCC.
While the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) is to be constituted by every employer to address complaints of sexual harassment, in establishments having less than ten employees and in cases where employer himself is the accused in the complaint, it is the LCC that has been empowered to take cognisance of the complaint.
