Section 6 of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
6. Constitution and jurisdiction of 1 [Local Committee].—(1) Every District Officer shall constitute in the district concerned, a committee to be known as the “1 [Local Committee]” to receive complaints of sexual harassment from establishments where the 2 [Internal Committee] has not been constituted due to having less than ten workers or if the complaint is against the employer himself.
- (2)The District Officer shall designate one nodal officer in every block, taluka and tehsil in rural or tribal area and ward or municipality in the urban area, to receive complaints and forward the same to the concerned 3 [Local Committee] within a period of seven days.
- (3)The jurisdiction of the 3 [Local Committee] shall extend to the areas of the district where it is constituted.
Summary
- The District Officer must set up a Local Committee in each district to receive complaints of sexual harassment.
- This Local Committee steps in when an organisation has fewer than ten workers and does not have an Internal Committee.
- It also handles cases where the complaint is made against the employer himself.
- The District Officer must designate a local contact person, known as a nodal officer, in every block, taluka, or tehsil in rural areas, and in every ward or municipality in urban areas, to receive complaints.
- These local nodal officers must forward any complaint they receive to the Local Committee within seven days.
- The jurisdiction, which means the area of legal authority, of the Local Committee covers the entire district where it is set up.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Who is responsible for setting up the Local Committee under the 2013 Act?
Under Section 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, the District Officer is responsible for establishing the Local Committee in their respective district.
2. When should a woman file a complaint with the Local Committee instead of an Internal Committee?
Under Section 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, a woman should go to the Local Committee if her workplace has fewer than ten workers so there is no Internal Committee, or if the complaint is against the employer himself.
3. What is a nodal officer and what do they do under the law?
Under Section 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, a nodal officer is a local official appointed in rural blocks, tehsils, or urban wards to receive harassment complaints and forward them to the Local Committee within seven days.
4. What is the geographical area of authority for a Local Committee?
Under Section 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, the jurisdiction, which means the area of legal authority, of the Local Committee extends to the areas of the district where it is established.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, which authority is legally mandated to constitute the Local Committee in a district?
Q2.Under Section 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, a Local Committee is authorized to receive complaints from which of the following?
Q3.Under Section 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, once a designated nodal officer receives a complaint, they must forward it to the Local Committee within how many days?
Q4.Under Section 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, what is the geographical boundary of a Local Committee's jurisdiction?