Srinagar: The government has directed all the Administrative Secretaries, Deputy Commissioners and Heads of the Department to constitute Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act by June 7.
The General Administration Department vide a circular (No. 13-GAD of 2019) on 26 February this year had impressed upon all Deputy Commissioners and Head of the Departments to constitute local complaint committee (LCC) at District Level in terms of Section-6 of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
Once again, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, advised to constitute Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) in terms of Section-4 of the Act, reads a government order issued here.
The Section- 4 of the Act provides as under that every employer of a workplace shall, by an order in writing, constitute a Committee to be known as the “Internal Complaints Committee”.
The Internal Committee shall consist of a Presiding Officer who shall be a woman employed at a senior level at workplace from amongst the employees. In case a senior level woman employee is not available, the Presiding Officer shall be nominated from other offices or Administrative Units of the workplace. Also in case the other offices or Administrative Units of the workplace do not have a senior level woman employee, the Presiding Officer shall be nominated from any other workplace of the same employer or other department or organization.
The Presiding Officer and every Member of the Internal Committee shall hold office for such period, not exceeding three years, from the date of their nomination as may be specified by the employer.
The Act provided that the Presiding Officer or any Member of the Internal Committee who contravenes the provisions of section 16; or has been convicted for an offence or an inquiry into an offence under any law for the time being in force is pending against him or he has been found guilty in any disciplinary proceedings or a disciplinary proceeding is pending against him; or has so abused his position as to render his continuance in office prejudicial to the public interest, such Presiding Officer or Member, as the case may be, shall be removed from the Committee and the vacancy so created or any casual vacancy shall be filled by fresh nomination in accordance with the provisions of the section.
