Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Thursday directed all departments to ensure women’s safety in workplaces in the state.
The direction came in the wake of the self-immolation death of a college student following an alleged inaction by the authorities over her complaint of sexual harassment against a teacher.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja wrote to all government departments to ensure compliance with the Provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 by all institutions or organisations.
In the letter, the chief secretary said that the implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act in workplaces and institutions is essential to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all, particularly women.
He has also directed the department heads and authorities that the compliance report on the action points be submitted to the Department of Women and Child Development within 15 days.
“Sexual harassment not only violates an individual’s dignity and rights but also undermines productivity, morale, and equal opportunities,” he said.
Ahuja also mentioned in the letter that by enforcing the POSH Act, organisations fulfil their legal and ethical responsibility to prevent, prohibit, and redress instances of harassment.
He said 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.
Ahuja has also advised all the department authorities to go for the constitution of Internal Committee (IC), capacity building and sensitisation, time-bound inquiry and redressal mechanism, annual reporting and transparency and 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,” Ahuja said.
The chief secretary also asked all administrative heads to constitute or revalidate IC and ensure meeting of IC once in a month for the next six 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.
He also said that the authorities to 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, mandate periodic awareness and capacity-building sessions for all staff and students, monitor and enforce compliance through regular inspections and require all institutions to submit status reports.
The college and school authorities are also told to regularly visit educational institutions and interact with students, the chief secretary said.
The second-year B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Monday night. She had set herself on fire on the college campus July 12 over inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her.
PTI
