Aid for domestic helps: Karnataka govt promises to modify guidelines

BENGALURU: The state government on Thursday assured the high court that it will modify guidelines and procedures to ensure all domestic workers receive the Rs 2,000 Covid-19 relief announced by the state. The government said those who provide Aadhaar details, a certificate signed by their employer and particulars of their bank account will get the benefit.
G Kalpana, additional chief secretary and principal secretary, labour department, who appeared before a division bench headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, also said stringent action will be initiated against all who were spreading “false” allegations that service provided were collecting a service charge/commission (ranging from Rs 150 to 200) from beneficiaries.
Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) had cited instances of service/commission charges in a report to the court. The next hearing has been listed for Monday to enable the government to place on record modified guidelines and an action taken report.
Earlier, the bench had asked the state government why it had sought attestation of a gazetted officer visa-vis employment certificate. The bench wanted to know how a tahsildar, or a BBMP revenue officer can certify/endorse that such a person is working as a domestic worker and why a certificate from the employer wasn’t sufficient.
The labour secretary explained the rule is either a certificate from the employer or attestation from a gazetted officer.
As regards the KLSLA report, she told the court that the matter was immediately taken up with departments concerned as service providers don’t come under the labour department. She said service providers are entitled to charge only Rs 25 per contract.
The Domestic Workers Rights Union, the petitioner, had claimed that the May 28, 2021 order issued by the government making registration in Seva Sindhu portal mandatory to get the Rs 2,000 benefit and such an insistence would in fact disentitle a large number of its members from receiving the compensation amount, though they are entitled to in terms of the package of state government.