Maid servants to get photo IDs in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, Oct 14 (ANI): Domestic helps will be issued photo IDs to facilitate them a range of government services including health and financial in Madhya Pradesh.

Once issued, these cards will sort of certify them as professional domestic assistants and enable them to avail of various medical services free of cost.

About five thousand maid servants from across the state had gathered at the residence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The meeting was specially organised to listen to their grievances. The women domestic assistants narrated the kind of difficulties and violence they have to bear either at work place or at their homes.

During the meeting, the chief minister said domestic helps should be called as 'Didi' a respectful word which means elder sister and they will be entitled to various government facilities, medical and financial.

According to Chouhan, issuing ID cards to these women will be the first step in acknowledging them as service providers and alleviating some of their problems.

"We have decided to issues them ID cards with pictures so that we know she is a domestic help. She shouldn't have any problem. Secondly we have made arrangements, if anyone falls sick in her family he/she will get free government medical treatment up to 20 thousand. We will make arrangements for that from Chief Minister Donation scheme," he said.

Domestic helps were happy that they will be called by more respectful word at homes but doubted the government's sincerity in putting their words into actions.

"Since we work as domestic help that's why the chief minister wants us to be called as sisters and give financial help. This is what he says. But we want to see the promise to be translated in actuality. We should get employment. Our wages should be increased," said Nirmala Daukar, a domestic help.

They were vocal about their poor economic conditions. A maid domestic servant who goes to a house for sweeping, mopping and washing the dishes may get roughly Rs 500 per month. And she does at least 4-5 houses to make both ends meet. Therefore, they demanded that their minimum wage should be pegged at about 3000 Rs a month.

This was the first time that domestic maid helps gathered at such a huge level in Madhya Pradesh to highlight their problems, issues and press upon government to do something about it. (ANI)