The Lok Sabha passed a bill, which seeks to protect women, including lakhs employed as domestic workers, from sexual harassment at workplace.
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2010, was passed without discussion amid uproar with BJP members storming the Well of the House.
As per the proposed law non-compliance with provisions of the Act shall be punishable with a fine of up to Rs. 50,000. Repeated violations may lead to higher penalties and cancellation of licence or registration to conduct business.
The Act also defines domestic worker as a woman employed to do household work in any household for remuneration whether in cash or kind, either directly or through any agency on temporary, permanent, part time or full time basis, but does not include any member of the family of the employer.
The Bill makes it mandatory that all offices, hospitals, institutions and other workplaces should have an internal redressal mechanism for complaints related to sexual harassment.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha also passed a bill that seeks to expand the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). At present the NHAI consists of a chairman, up to five full-time members and up to four part-time members.
The Bill seeks to expands the Authority and it will now consist of a chairman, up to six full-time members and six part-time members.