Complaints committee formed in Deputy Commissioner office

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, March 13: The Interl Complaints Committee (ICC) in the office of the Deputy Commissioner, West Khasi Hills District Nongstoin has been constituted.

This is in pursuance to Section 4 (1) (2) (a) up to (c) (3) of the Sexual Harassment of Women at workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

West Khasi Hills is the only district in Meghalaya to have constituted such committees under the law to address complaints of sexual harassment at workplaces.

The Prevention of Workplace Sexual Harassment Act 2013 requires an employer to set up an “Interl Complaints Committee” at each office or branch, of an organization employing 10 or more employees, to hear and redress grievances pertaining to sexual harassment.

At the district level, the government is required to set up a “Local Complaints Committee” (LCC) to investigate and redress complaints of sexual harassment from the unorganized sector or from establishments where the ICC has not been constituted on account of the establishment having less than 10 employees or if the complaint is against the employer.

The committee has been formed with Spinicy Diengdoh, Nongpyndeng, West Khasi Hills district, Nongstoin, (Rtd. Inspector of Schools) as president, FM Lakiang. MCS, Block Development Officer, Mairang C&RD Block West Khasi Hills District, IK War, District Social Welfare Officer, lcylda Nongrum, Teacher and Member of Pyndengrei Women Social Welfare Organisation, Fr James Anderson Syiemlieh, Director, NSSS, Nongstoin as members and IK War, District Social Welfare Officer, West Khasi Hills District, Nongstoin as Ex-officio  as member.

The Chairpersons and members of the committees shall hold office for a period of three years from the date of appointment.

All offices/establishments in the district which are having 10 or more employees have been advised to constitute Interl Complaints Committee (ICC).

Moreover, for those establishments who have less than 10 employees they will be covered by the Local Complaints Committee set up at the district level.

“There shall be zero tolerance on any sorts of sexual harassment in the district both in organized and unorganized sectors,” the authorities in West Khasi Hills district said.

It may be mentioned last week , United Democratic Party (UDP) legislator form West Shillong, Paul Lyngdoh while speaking in the Meghalaya Assembly during a Special Motion on “increasing atrocities against women and children,” had urged the government to constitute the interl complaint committees in every government departments to deal with cases of sexual harassment at workplace.