NEW DELHI: Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has asked Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to ensure that a "sensitive and fair system" is put in place at the All India Radio (AIR) to address recent sexual harassment complaints.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, scores of women have spoken out about sexual harassment at workplace.
In a letter to Rathore on November 9, Gandhi said, "Some of these women had complained to the appropriate authorities but no action seems to have been taken. I understand that an organisation would have a natural tendency to dismiss a casual woman employee the moment she reports sexual harassment.
She said a responsible organisation must provide justice to each and every woman who complains of sexual harassment.
"I would like to submit that the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act is equally applicable to a woman employee irrespective of her being a permanent, temporary or casual employee," Gandhi said.
"I am sure you will look into these complaints and ensure that a sensitive and fair system is put in place to address any such grievance in AIR," the minister said.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma also wrote to the I&B ministry and sought its intervention into the complaints.
The women's rights body also asked the ministry to submit a status report in one week.
The letter said several cases of alleged mishandling of sexual harassment complaints have been reported from different AIR stations.
Sharma said the commission has received a complaint from the "All India Radio Casual Announcer and Comperes Union alleging sexual harassment at workplace of casual announcers and comperes working in different stations of AIR throughout the country".
In the letter addressed to I&B secretary Amit Khare, Sharma asked for his "personal intervention" in the matter.
"I am bringing (this) to your notice for your personal intervention in the matter and to keep the commission apprised about the status report within 7 days of the receipt of the letter," she said.
The NCW chairman also wrote to Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi S Vempati and asked for a probe into the matter.
She also asked for an action taken report within 15 days.