Haryana State Commission for Women received around 150 complaints of sexual harassment of Women at work place from various parts of the State in the last six months.

Vice-chairperson of the Commission, Preeti Bhardwaj said that the Commission is concerned with the rise of crime cases against women in the State. Taking serious note of it, the Commission has written a letter to Haryana Chief Secretary and suggested that the executing departments should take urgent and relevant actions to enforce strict legal compliances under the law of Sexual Harassment of Women at workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013.

Bhardwaj said the Commission had earlier sent letters with regard to the necessary compliances under POSH Act 2013 to different government institutions of the State but have received fractured responses wherein the Act is followed in bits and pieces and not in totality. “Now with the spurt of such complaints with the Commission in the recent times it becomes imperative on the executing departments in the State to take urgent and relevant actions to enforce the strict legal compliances of the Act 2013,” she said.

Bhardwaj said that the Commission received such complaints from different institutions, organisations, bodies, NGOs and includes both government and private sectors.

in the last six months, eight cases of sexual harassment of women at work place each were reported at Commission from Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal. 14 from Rohtak, 10 from Panipat and Hisar; 11 from Sonepat; four from Yamunanagar; three from Jhajjar; six from Jind; eight from Mahindergarh; three from Rewari, four from Karnal; six from Bhiwani and Sirsa; nine from Kaithal; six from Ambala among others.

The Vice Chairperson said that the POSH Act, 2013 applies to all institutions, irrespective of their nature and sphere of work whether corporate, universities, schools, colleges, hospitals and hotels among others.

“Act states that no women shall be subjected to sexual harassment at any work place. However it is matter of concerns that as per the reports women in many of their workplaces are facing consistent sexual harassment in the State,” she said.

The vice-chairperson said that in the letter the Commission suggested the State government that a circular to this effect enforcing compliances under Act to be issued to all the district deputy commissioners, government departments/PSUs, Boards, Corporations, Commissions, Universities, Government Affiliated bodies and institutions. The deputy commissions may be further directed to issue circulate for relevant compliances under the Act for all private institutions and bodies among others, she said, adding the local Complaint Committee established under this Act to look into the complaints of sexual harassment at district level may be further instructed to be involved in the compliance of POSH Act, 2013.

7 GANG RAPE, 99 RAPE CASES REPORTED AT COMMISSION IN 6 MONTHS

The Commission has received seven complaints of gang rape from various parts of the State, one from Gurugram, two each from Ambala and Kurukshetra and one each from Bhiwani and Hissar, she said, Besides as many as 99 rape cases from April 15 to December 15 have been reported which include 10 in Hisar, 13 in Panipat, nine in Mewat, seven in Bhiwani, six in Sirsa, seven in Karnal, five each in Sonipat, Yamuna Nagar and Mahendragarh.

Bhardwaj said that it has been observed that police officials do not know how to use Nirbhaya fund effectively and said these officers should be given training on utilisation of this fund effectively in the State.

Nirbhaya fund is released by the central government to States for empowerment, safety and security of women and girl children. Fund is expected to support initiatives by the government and NGOs working towards protecting the dignity and ensuring safety of women.