Odisha Chief Secretary,Shri Manoj Ahuja, IAS today has instructed all departments ensuring Strict Compliance with the Provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 by all Institutions/ Organizations.
In a letter issued to all Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Commissioner-cum-Secretaries to Govt., All RDCs, DM &Collectors, the Chief Secretary has mentioned that, the implementation of the POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Act in workplaces and institutions is essential to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all, particularly women. Sexual harassment not only violates an individual’s dignity and rights but also undermines productivity, morale, and equal opportunities. By enforcing the POSH Act, organizations fulfill their legal and ethical responsibility to prevent, prohibit, and redress instances of harassment. It fosters a culture of accountability, encourages reporting without fear, and builds trust among employees or members, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more equitable work or institutional space.
In this context, CS has advised to draw attention to the following critical provisions of the POSH Act, which must be complied with on priority in all Departments/ Offices and all Organisations under their administrative control.
a. Constitution of Internal Committee (IC): Section 4 of the Act mandates every institution employing ten or more persons to constitute an IC to receive and redress complaints of sexual harassment with utmost promptitude.
b. Capacity Building and Sensitization: Section 19 obligates all employers. includingheads of educational institutions, to organize awareness and orientation programmes at regular intervals for students and staff regarding the provisions of the Act and mechanisms for redressal.
c. Time-bound Inquiry and Redressal Mechanism: Sections 9 and 11 of the Act lay down the procedure for filing complaints and conducting inquiries in a prompt and time-bound manner. Necessary capacity building of the members and Presiding officers of the IC is implicit.
d. Annual Reporting and Transparency: Institutions are required to maintain records of complaints and submit annual reports on their disposal/ status to the authorities.
e. Responsibility of Management: The head of the institution shall be held personally responsible for ensuring effective implementation of the POSH Act, as well as for any lapses in safeguarding complainants and preventing retaliation.
3. In light of the above, all administrative heads have been directed to take the following actions on priority:
i. Constitute / Revalidate IC: Ensure that all colleges, universities, training centres, and other relevant institutions under your jurisdiction constitute or revalidate the ICs without delay.
ii. Meeting of IC: Ensure that the ICs meet once in a month for the next 6 months to create awareness and build momentum for the campaign against sexual harassment in educational institutions. Thereafter, the ICs should meet in each quarter as per the Act
ii. Redressal mechanism: Ensure that the grievance redressal mechanism, such as the She–Box portal, along with details of the IC is prominently displayed in multiple locations in all institutions.
iv. Capacity-building: Mandate periodic awareness and capacity-building sessions for all staff and students.
v. Compliance: Monitor and enforce compliance through regular inspections and require all institutions to submit status reports. Direct senior officials of the district to regularly visit educational institutions and interact with students.
vi. Accountability: Hold heads of institutions accountable for non- compliance or negligence in addressing such complaints.
vii. SHe-Box portal: Ensure that all required details and reports are duly uploaded on the She-Box Portal without delay by all institutions under your administrative control. The portal also has facilities to lodge complaints and this should be widely disseminated.
4. The State Government is committed to ensuring the safety, dignity, and empowerment of women in all educational and professional environments. District Administrations are therefore expected to act with urgency and diligence to create a safe environment for girls and women and uphold the provisions of the law in both letter and spirit.
Chief Secretary in this context has requested all the Additional Chief Secretaries to Government, Principal Secretaries to Government and Commissioner-cum-Secretaries to Government under their administrative control to review the implementation of these directives at regular intervals and to ensure compliance to the above in respect of their Departments and all Organisations andalso during the course of their field visits to educational institutions to check their implementation.
The Chief Secretary has also directed that a compliance report on the above action points to be submitted to the Department of Women and Child Development within 15 days.
