The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday directed the State government to give wide publicity in the media that domestic workers can visit the Common Service Centres (CSCs), offices of the labour inspectors and senior labour inspectors, and gram panchayat offices to get help for online registration to avail themselves of ₹2,000 relief package announced in view of the lockdown. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued the direction while pointing out that the publicity given in newspapers in the from of advertisement had no information that domestic workers, who are unable to access or use the internet, can visit the CSCs, gram panchayat offices, and offices of labour inspectors.
The Bench was hearing a PIL petition filed the Domestic Workers’ Rights Union on non-availability of welfare schemes under the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act even 11 years after the law came into force.
Observing that the governments perhaps proceeded on the assumption that everyone can access the internet to upload the required identity documents and photos on the Seva Sindhu portal for availing of the relief package.
Earlier, the government said eligible persons in the unorganised sector, including domestic workers, can walk into CSCs, gram panchayats, and offices of labour inspectors along with the requisite documents where officials will upload their data on the portal.
