INTERNAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE (ICC)
Constitution of ICC-FSSAI for considering complaints of sexual harassment of women employees at FSSAI
In compliance with the instructions of National Commission for Women and guidelines issued in implementation of the directives of Hon'ble Supreme Court Judgement dated 13th August, 1997 in the case of Vishaka and others vs. State of Rajasthan and Others on the subject of sexual harassment of women in the workplace, this Authority had duly constituted a Complaint Committee for considering complaints of sexual harassment of women working in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The composition of the Complaints Committee was revised subsequent to repatriation of the existing Chairperson/Member. This Committee in the authority has now been re-constituted on 06th August 2019 for considering complaints of sexual harassment of women employees. The details with regard to the Act & rules, role, functions etc. of ICC are as given below:
COMPLAINT PROCEDURE:
Complaint regarding Sexual Harassment against women can be made either in paper form or by sending e-mail to any or all of the committee members. The Act stipulates that aggrieved woman can make written complaint of sexual harassment at workplace to the ICC within a period of three months from the date of incident and in case of a series of incidents, within a period of three months from the date of last incident. As per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Rules, 2013, in case the aggrieved woman is unable to make a complaint on account of her physical incapacity, a complaint may be filed inter alia by her relative or friend or her co-worker or an officer of the National Commission for Woman or State Women's Commission or any person who has knowledge of the incident, with the written consent of the aggrieved woman. Ministry of Women & Child Development has launched an online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic -Box (She-Box) on 24th July, 2017 for registering complaints related to Sexual Harassment at workplace. The She-Box is an initiative to provide a platform to the women working or visiting any office of Central Government (Central Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies and Institutions etc.) to file complaints related to Sexual Harassment at workplace under the Sexual Harassment of Women at workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Once a complaint is submitted to She-Box, it will be directly sent to the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) of the concerned Ministry/ Department/ PSU/ Autonomous Body etc. having jurisdiction to inquire into the complaint. The She-Box also provides an opportunity to both the complainant and nodal administrative authority to monitor the progress of inquiry conducted by the ICCs.