Prepare a note on Local Complaint Committees constituted under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

At the district level, the Government is required to set up a 'Local Committee' ("LC") to investigate and redress complaints of sexual harassment from the unorganized sector or from establishments where the Internal Committee (IC) has not been constituted on account of the establishment having less than 10 employees or if the complaint is against the employer. The LC has special relevance in cases of sexual harassment of domestic workers or where the complaint is against the employer himself or a third party who is not an employee. The provisions of the Act w.r.t. LC are as follows: (i) Notification of District Officer - According to section 5, the Appropriate Government may notify a District Magistrate or Additional District Magistrate or the Collector or Deputy Collector as a District Officer for every District to exercise powers or discharge functions under this Act. (ii) Constitution and jurisdiction of Local Committee- According to section 6, every District Officer shall constitute in the district concerned, a committee to be known as the "Local Committee" to receive complaints of sexual harassment from establishments where the Internal Committee has not been constituted due to having less than ten workers or if the complaint is against the employer himself. The District Officer shall designate one nodal officer in every block, taluka and tehsil in rural or tribal area and ward or municipality in the urban area, to receive complaints and forward the same to the concerned Local Committee within a period of seven days. The jurisdiction of the Local Committee shall extend to the areas of the district where it is constituted. (iii) Composition, tenure and other terms and conditions of Local Committee Pursuant to section 7, the Local Committee shall consist of the following members to be nominated by the District Officer, namely:- a. Chairperson to be nominated from amongst the eminent women in the field of social work and committed to the cause of women; b. one Member to be nominated from amongst the women working in block, taluka or tehsil or ward or municipality in the district; c. two Members, of whom at least one shall be a woman, to be nominated from amongst such non- governmental organisations or associations committed to the cause of women or a person familiar with the issues relating to sexual harassment, which may be prescribed: Provided that at least one of the nominees should, preferably, have a background in law or legal knowledge. It is provided further that at least one of the nominees shall be a woman belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes or the Other Backward Classes or minority community notified by the Central Government, from time to time; d. the concerned officer dealing with the social welfare or women and child development in the district, shall be a member ex officio. [Section 7(1)] The Chairperson and every Member of the Local Committee shall hold office for such period, not exceeding three years, from the date of their appointment as may be specified by the District Officer. Where the Chairperson or any Member of the Local Committee commits any of the following acts, he shall be removed from the Committee and the vacancy so created or any casual vacancy shall be filled by fresh nomination in accordance with the provisions of this section: a. contravenes the provisions of section 16; or b. has been convicted for an offence or an inquiry into an offence under any law for the time being in force is pending against him; or c. has been found guilty in any disciplinary proceedings or a disciplinary proceeding is pending against him; or d. has so abused his position as to render his continuance in office prejudicial to the public interest, such Chairperson or Member, as the case may be. The Chairperson and Members of the Local Committee other than the Members nominated under clauses (b) and (d) of sub-section (1) shall be entitled to such fees or allowances for holding the proceedings of the Local Committee as may be prescribed.