Harassment at workplace: SC seeks reply from Centre, states

Parliament enacted the Sexual Harassment At Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition) Act in December, 2013.

The Supreme Court agreed to examine on Thursday a public interest litigation seeking effective implementation of the law to deal with sexual harassment of women at workplace.

A view of Supreme Court in New Delhi.(HT File Photo)

The petition filed by NGO Initiatives for Inclusion Foundation said that state and central government agencies have failed to comply with the rules framed under the 2013 Act, aimed to protect women from sexual harassment and provide redressal of complaints at workplace.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra issued notices to the Centre and states after the NGO’s counsel Sanjay Parikh said the law was based upon the top court’s judgement in the Vishaka case. He contended despite the verdict and the law states and Centre had not set-up the grievance committees.

Based on the response it received from various departments under the Right of Information Act, the NGO has said in its petition that none of the States are fully compliance of the law.

REdressal mechanism such as appointment of district officers, constitution of a local complaints cell and internal complaints committee and appointment of nodal officers as per the law were yet to become effective. It was also found that states were unaware of the measures private organizations had taken to follow the law. “As per the law they need to collate the data. RTI responses demonstrate there is no information with the governments,” Esha Shekhar, managing trustee of the NGO, told HT.