The Union Government has ordered all its Ministries and departments to complete enquiry of cases relating to sexual harassment of women within one month. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued fresh guidelines regarding Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace and asked offices to ensure the woman complainant is not victimised.
“The enquiry of cases must be completed within 30 days and under any circumstances within 90 days from the date of the complaint. The Ministries/ departments etc have to keep a watch on the complainant so as to ensure that she is not victimised in any manner because of her having filed the complaint,” the latest DoPT order said.
The aggrieved woman has been given further option to send representation to the Secretary or head of the organization in case she feels that she is being victimized because of her complaint. The concerned authority will be required to dispose of this complaint within 15 days.
All ministries and departments are now required to submit a monthly progress report to the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) so that the progress can be monitored. DoPT has also asked ministries/departments to have brief information of the implementation of the law as part of their Annual Reports. This includes information on the number of cases received and disposed off.
The new notification was issued following a review meeting taken by WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi on the implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. During the meeting, some cases of sexual harassment pending with certain ministries/ departments were also examined.
Maneka, while appreciating DoPT for having quickly issued the guidelines, said the WCD Ministry will soon be coming out with a comprehensive plan to sensitise and train the heads of Internal Complaint Committee under the Central Government Ministries/ Departments.