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The Delhi high court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre and the city government over their failure to implement Vishaka guidelines on dealing with cases of sexual harassment against women in the aviation industry in New Delhi.
Besides the government agencies, Justice Hima Kohli also questioned Sri Lankan Airlines for not setting up a regular internal complaints committees, as per the guidelines, at its seven offices in India to look into instances of sexual harassment.
"What steps you (the Centre, the Delhi government and Airlines) have taken for the implementation of Vishaka guidelines in all Airlines or at every workplace. You should have done it by now.
"You should ensure that Vishaka guidelines are functional in every other organisation. I am not only on this case related to the Sri Lankan Airlines. The harassment is taking place at every place," the court said. The court's oral observation came during the hearing of a plea by an Indian woman, who was employed with the Sri Lankan Airlines, against Civil Aviation and Women and Child Development ministries as well as Delhi government, the airline and its official against whom allegations of sexual harassment have been levelled by the woman.
It has also alleged that Vishaka guidelines have not been implemented by Sri Lankan Airlines Ltd or by the Delhi government which was to constitute a local committee to hear complaints of sexual harassment at workplace. However, the ministry of women and child development, through its counsel Zubeda Begum, informed the court that they are in the process of implementing the Act "Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place (prevention, Prohibition and redressal) Act" vide which all the departmental complaint committee are being converted into Internal Complaint Committees.