EMN
Dimapur, September 4
In pursuance of the Supreme Court’s directives, the Personnel & Administrative Reforms department of Nagaland has notified setting up a ‘complaints committee’ in all the directorates and districts having a staff of more than 50 employees. The committee will redress complaints relating to sexual harassment at workplace of women employees of the government of Nagaland, the administrative reforms department informed in a note received here today.
The complaints committee is to consist of five or more members including a member-secretary and not less than half of its members should be women. “Further, the committee should be headed by a woman officer in all the directorates and the district. The committee should also involve non-governmental organizations or other bodies who are familiar with the issue of sexual harassment,” the notification stated. For the directorate, the head of department should constitute the committee and the district committee should be constituted by the respective deputy commissioner, it was informed.
The notification further stated that all the directorates and the respective departments should set up the committee within a period of 2 weeks and such notifications should be sent to the Personnel & Administrative departments for record and necessary action.
Terms and conditions of the complaints committee
The Complaints Committee shall receive complaint from any woman employee, through its Member Secretary, who is a victim of sexual harassment at her work place, and cause an enquiry into the complaint and suggest measures to redress the complaint.
The committee will take measures to create awareness of the rights of female employees in this regard by prominently notifying the guidelines in a suitable manner and other suitable awareness campaigns.
Complaints Committee will be deemed to be an inquiry authority for the proposes of Central/State Civil Services (Conduct) Rules and the report of the Complaints Committee shall be deemed to be an inquiry report under the Rules. Thereafter the disciplinary authority will act on the report in accordance with the rules.
The Complaints Committee shall submit an annual report to the Secretary, Women Development Department who is the Nodal Department to deal such cases with details of the complaints, if any made thereof for necessary action by the concerned Disciplinary Authority.
The notification was issued by Additional Chief Secretary to the Govt. of Nagaland CJ Ponraj.
