Section 6 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Section 6 makes the District Officer responsible for constituting a Local Committee in every district. That committee receives complaints from establishments where no Internal Committee has been constituted because they have less than ten workers, and complaints made against the employer himself. If you employ a small team or you are an employee of a small business, this section tells you where a complaint goes. For advice on which route fits your situation, see our legal consultation service.
The District Officer constitutes a Local Committee in the district. It receives complaints of sexual harassment from establishments where the Internal Committee has not been constituted due to having less than ten workers, or where the complaint is against the employer himself. A nodal officer designated in every block, taluka and tehsil (rural or tribal area) and ward or municipality (urban area) receives complaints and forwards them to the Local Committee within seven days. Its jurisdiction extends to the areas of the district where it is constituted.
Source and names
We follow the consolidated text of the Act consulted (it shows one amendment, Act 23 of 2016, with effect from 6 May 2016); later amendments and notifications should be checked. Section 6 carries footnotes showing that Act 23 of 2016 substituted "Local Committee" for "Local Complaints Committee" and "Internal Committee" for "Internal Complaints Committee", with effect from 6 May 2016. The copy still prints the older name in the Chapter III heading and in sections 2(c) and 2(i). We use the new names and, once only, mention that the bodies are also commonly called ICC and LCC.
Sub-section (1): who constitutes it and for which complaints
"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."
Three things to take from this one sentence.
- The District Officer constitutes it. The employer does not. The District Officer is the person notified under section 5; see our article on sections 5 and 20.
- Two situations send a complaint here. The first is an establishment where the Internal Committee has not been constituted due to having less than ten workers. The second is a complaint against the employer himself.
- The figure is "less than ten". That is the figure as printed. Section 4 of the Act, on the Internal Committee, does not itself print a headcount; this section is where the figure of ten appears in the context of committees (it is also in the definition of the unorganised sector in section 2(p)).
Complaint against the employer
The second situation matters even in a larger company. If the complaint is against the employer himself, the Internal Committee, whose members the employer nominates and whose period he specifies, would be an awkward forum. The Act routes the complaint to the Local Committee in that case. The text does not define "employer himself" beyond what section 2(g) says about the employer, so for a company check who the employer is under that clause.
Sub-section (2): the nodal officer and seven days
"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."
| Item | What the text says |
|---|---|
| Who designates | The District Officer |
| How many | One nodal officer in every block, taluka and tehsil in a rural or tribal area, and in every ward or municipality in an urban area |
| What the nodal officer does | Receives complaints and forwards them to the concerned Local Committee |
| Time | Within a period of seven days |
The sub-section does not say from when the seven days run. A sensible reading is from receipt by the nodal officer, since the nodal officer is the one who "receive complaints and forward" them, but the text does not print a starting event. Keep a dated acknowledgement.
The three-month time limit for the complaint under section 9(1) is a different period; see our article on section 9.
Sub-section (3): jurisdiction
"The jurisdiction of the Local Committee shall extend to the areas of the district where it is constituted." So a Local Committee acts only within its district. A complaint from an establishment in another district goes to that district's committee. The composition, tenure and allowances of the Local Committee are in section 7 and are covered in our article on sections 7 and 8.
How a Local Committee complaint fits with the rest of the Act
Section 9(1) allows an aggrieved woman to make her written complaint to "the Internal Committee if so constituted, or the Local Committee, in case it is not so constituted". Section 6 tells you in which cases the Local Committee is the forum. After that, the Local Committee's role in conciliation, inquiry and reporting follows the same sections as the Internal Committee, with reports going to the District Officer rather than the employer where the Act says so. For the inquiry stage, see the post on section 11.
An example
Imran runs a workshop with six workers. He has not constituted an Internal Committee because of the size of the team. One of his workers, Lata, wants to complain about the conduct of his supervisor. Because there is no Internal Committee at the workshop, she can complain to the Local Committee, through the nodal officer for her ward. If instead her complaint were against Imran himself, section 6(1) would send it to the Local Committee in any case, even if he did have an Internal Committee. The nodal officer must forward it to the Local Committee within seven days.
Need help with a Local Committee complaint?
If you are an employer unsure whether you need an Internal Committee, or a worker unsure where to send a complaint, the answer depends on the facts. Our legal consultation team can review your position and explain the route under section 6. Our topic guide on the Local Committee for small employers gives a general view.
Key takeaways
- The District Officer constitutes a Local Committee in each district.
- Complaints reach it from establishments with less than ten workers that have no Internal Committee, and where the complaint is against the employer himself.
- Nodal officers receive complaints and forward them to the Local Committee within seven days.
- The Local Committee's jurisdiction extends to the areas of the district where it is constituted.
- The copy still prints "Local Complaints Committee" in some headings and definitions; the footnotes show the 2016 change.
Read next
- Sections 7 and 8 of the POSH Act, 2013: Local Committee composition, tenure, grants and audit
- Section 9 of the POSH Act, 2013: complaint and time limit
- Section 4 of the POSH Act, 2013: constitution of the Internal Committee
- Local Complaints Committee (LCC): For Small Employers
Disclaimer: Based on a consolidated text of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 showing one amendment (Act 23 of 2016, 6 May 2016) and on a copy of the Rules of 2013 as notified on 9 December 2013, as consulted on 2 October 2026. Later amendments, State rules and notifications, and the position under the Labour Codes in force from 21 November 2025 should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.