Hindustan Times: Mumbai: Wednesday,
August 17, 2016.
In the last
four years (2013-16) the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials
have registered 118 cases of sexual harassment in its offices, reveals a right
to information (RTI) response.
In a reply to
the RTI filed by activist Anil Galgali requesting number of sexual harassment
complaints filed in the civic administration and action taken, the civic body
replied saying 21 sexual harassments cases were registered by its women
employees till June this year.
According to
this information, from 2013 to 2016, the average number of complaints
registered with committee which works under Women Sexual Harassment Prevention
chief and ‘Savitribai Phule Women Resource Centre each year should be 29. While
in 2013 and 2014, 32 and 34 complaints were lodged respectively, there was
marginal decline in 2015 as 31 cases were filed.
Out of the
total 118 cases, 96% have been cleared and punishment has been announced by the
committee. As per the data, no decision was taken in 4 out of 21 complaints
this year.
There were 53
cases between 2010 and 2013, which increased to 32 in just 2014, said the
report by the 15-member legislative committee on rights and welfare of women.
However,
Galgali has written to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta demanding that all the
names of the officers, who have been found guilty of sexual harassment by the
committee, should be displayed on the BMC website. This will act as a strong
deterrent as the fear of public shaming will reduce such future instances.
Galgali
further demanded that chairman, secretary and the members of the committee
appointed to look into the complaints of sexual harassment by women employees
be given a fixed term to ensure fair decision.
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