New Delhi: The Delhi government has proposed setting up Local Complaints Committee (LCC) in every district of the national capital which the victims of sexual harassment at workplace denied justice by the Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) can approach.
According to the proposal drafted by the Women and Child Development department, District Magistrates or Additional District Magistrates will be notified as District Officers (DOs) to exercise the powers and discharge functions under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013.
The DO will constitute the LCC in his district and will further appoint a nodal officer in every ward, municipality to receive the complaints and forward it to the concerned Committee within a period of seven days.
The DO will also monitor the timely submission of reports furnished by the local complaints committees and take measures as may be necessary for engaging NGOs in creating awareness about sexual harassment and the rights of women.
The members of the LCC will include a chairperson, to be nominated from among eminent women in the field of social work and committed to the cause of women. There will be one member from among the women working in municipality in the district, two members, of whom at least one shall be woman, to be nominated from among such NGOs or associations as are committed to the cause of women or a person familiar with the issues related to the protection of women from sexual harassment.
Also, an officer dealing with women and child development in the district, shall be it ex-officio member.
The chairperson and every member of the LCC will hold office for three years from the date of their appointment as may be specified by the DO.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal has expressed sadness over the fact that even after two years of the passage of the Act, the DOs and LCCs have not been notified in the city till date. She had written to Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung about it.
“There has already been a considerable delay in this regard. It cannot be overemphasized that the Act virtually exists on paper and steps are yet to taken for its effective implementation,” she had said in her letter, adding, the Commission has been receiving a large number of complaints regarding sexual harassment at workplace.
Under Section 5 and 6 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, state is required to set up a LCC to investigate complaints related to sexual harassment from cases which cannot be dealt with by the ICC or where there is no ICC.
by: pti
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi today accused the government of delaying a decision on the issue of net neutrality on the “pretext” of repeated discussions and took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his ‘Digital India’ scheme cannot become a “euphemism” for an Internet controlled by large remote corporations.
Insisting that the Congress has always stood for ‘Freedom of the Internet’ and ‘Net Neutrality’, he said the party wanted that Internet Service Providers (ISPs)/Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and government should treat all data on Internet equally.
“With Digital India, people would get more access to the Internet – the whole Internet – and not primarily a filter on the web. This is imperative for India to grow in 21st Century.
I sincerely hope that TRAI report and Modi government will adhere to this bounden need espoused by millions of Indians”, the Congress Vice President said in a statement.
He told the Prime Minister that ‘Digital India’ “cannot become a euphemism for an Internet controlled by large remote corporations. Digital India should mean Internet connectivity as a public utility, open ended and generative.”
“Congress Party’s and my belief is shaped by our faith that Internet users should be free to connect to any website or service that they want, enabling a level playing field on the ‘world wide web’. We recognize the danger of privileging a private platform over a public Internet introducing a new digital divide,” he said.
He wanted the government to realise that Internet is a powerful poverty alleviation tool, offering unbounded opportunities limited only by imagination, whether it is a farmer looking for information on monsoon preparedness, artisans connecting with buyers in a market place or a college student from rural India enrolling for an online course.
“NASSCOM has asked for Net Neutrality, over 500 start-up entrepreneurs are pleading for it, young in India have been demanding it, yet we have a government, which under the pretext of repeated discussions, has been delaying framing a clear-cut policy on this”, Mr Gandhi said attacking the government.
He charged that the BJP government “quietly looked the other way” when Telecom companies introduced price differential through zero rating plans and attempts to charge for OTT (Over The Top) services.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued consultation papers on the issue twice over, covering similar questions for consumers to answer on Net Neutrality, free basics and data price differentiation.
“Like millions of Indians out there, I am earnestly hoping to see a TRAI report (scheduled for 31st January) and Modi government’s commitment in favor of an open Internet in its entirety where there is no ambiguity in regard to difference in pricing or VOIP”, Rahul Gandhi said.
The Congress Vice President said he was aware that past few months haven’t been easy for Free Internet and Net Neutrality activists, civil society and researchers, who are engaged in the movement to disseminate useful and relevant information to the public despite “misleading marketing gimmicks.”
“I salute their indomitable spirit and would like to congratulate them.”
Four persons, including a member of Autonomous Council and three Congress workers, have been abducted by unidentified persons from two separate places in Assams Dima Hasao district last night, police said here today.
Jibon Kemprai, member of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council, was kidnapped from his house at Thaijuwari under Diyungbra police station while three Congress workers, belonging to the Bieate community, were kidnapped from a place between Umrangshu and Sangabar under Umrangshu police station.
The abducted Congress workers have been identified as Luapuia Thaite, Joseph Nampui and Lala Nampui.
In another incident, unidentified persons fired at the residence of BJP Dima Hasao district committee General Secretary Deben Thaosen at Sengya Sambhudhan Raji under Sarkari Bagan police out post here.
A protest rally was taken out by members of the Bieate community demanding immediate release of persons kidnapped.
Deputy Commissioner Amrendra Barua assured the delegation who met him that the culprits would be nabbed immediately and the abducted will be released.
The Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the security agencies were capable of dealing with any threat posed by the ISIS group.
“We have the capacity to meet any threat. We will face it,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
The Home Minister’s comments came when asked about the ISIS threat in the country.
Last week, 14 youths were arrested by the NIA and other security agencies after they allegedly formed a module on the pattern of dreaded ISIS to carry out strikes at vital installations.
According to Indian intelligence agencies, a total of 23 Indians have so far joined the ISIS of which six were reportedly killed in different incidents in Iraq-Syria.
by : pti
In a fresh setback to the Mumbai attack trial, a Pakistani court has dismissed the government’s petition seeking voices samples of 26/11 mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects in the case.
The prosecution had filed an application in the Islamabad High Court seeking voice samples of the suspects to compare it with the communication intercepted by Indian intelligence and then present it before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) as evidence against the seven suspects in the Mumbai attack case.
The Islamabad High Court on Monday dismissed the petition.
In 2011 and 2015, the issue of obtaining voice samples of Lakhvi had been dismissed by the trial court on the grounds that “no such law exists that allows obtaining of voice sample of an accused”.
The prosecution’s petition said the Indian intelligence agencies had intercepted communication between the suspects and the terrorists in connection with the Mumbai attack in 2008.
In the recorded intercepts, the suspects are alleged to be instructing the terrorists.
The prosecution lawyers had argued that the samples were essential for concluding the investigation of this high profile case.
The trial court had also rejected another petition of the prosecution requesting the court to declare Ajmal Kasab and Faheem Ansari absconders in order to meet legal formalities.
The prosecution had told the court that unless it declared the two men absconders, the trial against them would remain “inconclusive” as both have been cited as accused in the Mumbai attack case by Indian authorities and that they were also wanted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that was probing the 26/11 case.
Pakistani authorities arrested seven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) members involved in the planning of the attacks including the terrorist group’s operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of the Mumbai attack.
Six accused — Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum –have been in Adiala Jail for more than six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in November, 2008, that left 166 people killed.
Lakhvi, 56, secured bail in December, 2014, and was subsequently released from Adiala Jail on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the government’s order to detain him under a public security act.
A trial is underway against them at the ATC since 2009.
by : PTI
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has appointed a Commission of Inquiry to address “unheeded” complaints of women by the police and tasked it to recommend action in cases of crime against women and amendments to existing laws.
The three-member commission, to be headed by retired district judge Dinesh Dayal, will receive complaints, including on violence, sexual harassment, stalking and voyeurism against women since February 2013.
The appointment of the probe panel was notified by Delhi Women and Child Development Department on January 19.
The Arvind Kejriwal government had in August called a one-day assembly session, which had passed a resolution to set up the commission following the brutal murder of a 19-year-old girl in Anand Parbat area here on July 16, last year.
The tenure of the commission shall be for a period of two years and it will submit its report to the government every three months from ..
by : PTI
In an accident caught on CCTV camera, a motorcycle-borne youth was killed after he was hit by a car which was being allegedly rashly driven at Lehllan village near Rajpura here.
The accident occurred on January 22 when the victim, identified as Prince, was returning from his father’s shop, they said.
The footage from the CCTV camera installed at a private school showed a car which was allegedly being recklessly driven ram the victim’s bike before crashing into the boundary wall of a school, police said.
The youth was killed on the spot, they said, adding a case has been registered and investigation is underway.
The Union Cabinet today gave its ex-post facto approval for revised cost of Rs 969 crore for the Afghan Parliament building in Kabul which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month during his visit to the war-ravaged country.
India built the Afghan Parliament as part of its efforts in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of that country. The project is a visible symbol of Indias contribution to strengthening and rebuilding democracy in Afghanistan.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, gave its ex-post facto approval for completion of the Afghan Parliament building in Kabul by December 31 at a revised project cost of Rs 969 crore, said an official release.
The construction of Afghan Parliament building has been completed under India-Afghanistan development cooperation and minor touch-up works, including parts of sound system and furniture are now being undertaken, the release said.
It said the Parliament building will be handed over to the Afghan authorities by March 31.
India has invested USD two billion in aid and reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Modi had addressed the Members of Meshrano Jirga (Upper House) and Wolesi Jirga (House of the People) after inaugurating the building during which he had complimented people of Afghanistan and their elected representatives on consolidation of democracy in the country.
India today gifted 40 ambulances and eight buses to different organisations in Nepal on the occasion of its 67th Republic Day.
Indias Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae handed over keys of 33 ambulances and six buses to different charitable organisations and schools during a function held inside the Indian Embassy premises.
The remaining seven ambulances and two buses were gifted by the Consulate General of India in Birgunj to different organisations.
The function was attended by over 2,500 people including diplomats, journalists, social activists, business community leaders and government staff.
The ambassador also gifted books to 52 libraries, schools and training institutes of Nepal.
The widows and dependents of Ex-servicemen and disabled Ex-servicemen were handed over cash incentives and blankets by the Ambassador.
Ambassador Rae after hoisting the Indian national flag read out President Pranab Mukherjees address, which stressed that India today is a rising power fast emerging as a global leader in science, technology, innovation and start ups and whose economic success is the envy of the world.
On the occasion, students of Kendriya Vidyalaya and Modern Indian School presented different songs. Nepal Army band also presented melodious music enthralling the audience.
Risking their lives, Two Railway police personnel today prevented a woman’s suicide bid by dragging her away from a track moments before a train passed over the spot at Neelikonampalayam area here.
Head constable Shivachandran and Constable Mahendran were on their rounds early this morning as part of security duty for the Republic Day when they noticed the woman lying on the track and the train barely 500 metres away, police said.
Both of them jumped onto the track and dragged her out, they said.
The woman, identified as Tamilarasi (24), was dejected over frequent quarrels with her husband and had decided to end her life in this manner, they said.
She was later lodged in a shelter home in the city, police said.
by :PTI
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