Create a process to allow domestic staff, Gurugram administration tells RWAs

Vishakha Chaman | TNN | Updated: May 5, 2020, 13:26 IST

GURUGRAM: The district administration late on Monday came out with a set of guidelines for residents — from stepping out for a walk to recalling domestic staff to work.
Resident welfare associations (RWAs) have been asked to come up with a ‘systematic process’ to allow domestic staff, including house helpers, drivers, dhobis, tailors and car cleaners, who don’t stay within the premises.
“Domestic staff are allowed as per the law. If the residents of a society and RWAs decide unanimously that they should not be allowed, then it is their decision. However, RWAs cannot force it on the residents,” additional chief secretary and GMDA chief VS Kundu said.
The guidelines added that domestic staff will strictly not be allowed in containment zones. “Several RWAs agree that in the current situation, the entry of domestic helps/cooks/daily cleaners may be deferred till the end of the extended lockdown period,” read the guidelines.
Barring a few, most of the RWAs, in societies like Ramprastha, Vatika, Lavanya in Sector 80, said they will not allow domestic staff to resume work till the lockdown is in place. The Fresco RWA in Sector 50 said it will wait for a formal order from the administration. Other societies, wary that social distancing would be tough to maintain, said that it was too early to allow domestic helps back.
“We have not allowed any entry for domestic in our area but only allowing special requests made by senior citizens or patients who don’t have anyone to look after them,” said Dhruv Bansal, spokesperson for DLF Qutab Enclave RWA.
Suresh Kumar, a 65-year-old resident of DLF Phase-1, said maintaining the house was a difficult task for him.
“My wife had gone to Canada before the lockdown and is stuck there. I am managing cooking and washing but don’t have any help for cleaning. For a senior citizen, it is difficult. There are other people over the age of 80 who are living alone and are dependent on help. RWAs should think about such elderly persons. Even if domestic staff is allowed for a few hours, it would be helpful,” said Kumar.
A 72-year-old resident of DLF Phase-1, Pramod Bhargav, said, “A domestic staff working at my friend’s place is coming to clean my house. I am able to manage the rest on my own. But there are people who are more elderly, some differently abled too, who require more assistance.”
Some RWAs, like the ones in DLF Phase-2 and plotted areas, have allowed domestic staff to resume work. The DLF-2 residents’ association first conducted a survey, and 38% were in favour of letting helps come back to work.
Meanwhile, the administration’s guidelines said residents, maximum up to two members of a family at a time, could go for walks and also take their pets out for not more than 15 minutes. However, there should be a single point of entry/exit on the ground floor. After walks, the residents must wash hands before entering the building premises, and sanitisers must be placed at lift lobbies.
The guidelines added that non-essential deliveries from courier and e-commerce websites like Amazon and FlipKart could be received at the building lobbies, from where residents could collect them. However, such orders are to be restricted. For delivery of essential items like medicines, the same protocols need to be followed.