Govt yet to notify Sexual Harassment Act even after President's assent

, Nov 27: Safety of women at workplace has raked up a huge debate and a key legislation in this regard is sill stuck between WCS and Law ministries.

It has been seven months since the President gave his assent to the legislation, it is yet to be enforced. The Women and Child Development Ministry, which is supposed to notify the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, has not done so claiming that without finalising the rules, the law would be a "mockery on public."

The law deals with sexual harassment cases in workplace

Preeti Sudan, Additional Secretary in the WCD Ministry confirmed that the law has not yet been notified. On asking why the notification was delayed , she said: ‘Notifying a law without framing the rules is a mockery on public, how will the law get implemented without the rules." But she immediately added and said that the Law ministry saw the final draft and the law will be notified soon.

However, senior officials at the Ministry had a different story to tell. They said that the Law had been notified on April 22 this year after Pranab Mukerjee gave the assent.

The law makes it mandatory for all offices with 10 or more employees to have an internal complaints committee (ICC) to deal with sexual harassment cases.

PTI