DIMAPUR: The Nagaland government has constituted a six-member complaint committee for redressal of complaints relating to sexual harassment of women employees of the state government at their workplace.
The new complaint committee was set up as per the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (prevention, prohibition, and redressal) Act 2013 in supersession of the earlier state-level committee as notified by the state administrative and personnel department on November 19, 2016.
While secretary, higher and technical education department, Hokhuli Chishi is the chairperson of the complaint committee, Bodeno S Colo, additional secretary, social welfare department, Kusa Fithu, joint secretary, cooperation department, Rosy Athrila S, joint secretary, transport department and Abeiu Meru, president, Naga Mothers Association, are its members and Sungtila Jamir, joint secretary, personnel and administrative reforms department, is the member secretary.
As per a government notification on Wednesday, the complaint committee will receive complaints from any woman who is a victim of sexual harassment at her workplace and institute an inquiry and suggest measures to redress it.
The committee will take measures to create awareness of the right of female employees in this regard by suitably notifying the guidelines with awareness campaigns.
The notification said the committee will be deemed to be an inquiry authority for Central/State Civil Service (Conduct) Rules and its report will be deemed to be an inquiry report under the rules. Thereafter the disciplinary authority will act on the report following the rules, it added.
The committee has been asked to submit an annual report to the personnel and administrative reforms department with details of the complaints if any made to it and the action thereof.
In another notification today, the government said it has constituted a 10-member Nagaland Consumer Protection Council for the state with the minister in charge of consumer affairs as its chairman.
The objective of the state consumer council is to render advice on the promotion and protection of consumer rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, in the state.
The government said the council will meet as and when necessary but not less than two meetings will be held every year.