Gurugram admn mandates domestic help registration

Tribune Reporters

Gurugram, February 13

Taking a stern stance on the alleged torture of a 17-year-old tribal domestic help, the Gurugram administration has mandated registration of all live-in maids. Issuing orders to local residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), the administration has asked them to ensure the registration of every full-time maid in a nearby police station and the non-employment of any underage domestic help. The employers would need to submit details of maids, along with the details of the agency, if applicable. The authorities have been asked to personally speak to all maids and verify their working conditions.

RWAs to ensure verification

All RWAs would have to ensure that no underage domestic help is employed or exploited in their respective areas. The registration of house help is mandatory and counter verification has to be done by RWAs. Nishant Yadav, DC

“All RWAs would be responsible for house help employed in their respective areas. They have to ensure that no underage worker is employed or exploited. The registration of domestic helps is mandatory and counter verification has to be done by RWAs. We have also appealed to residents to alert us in case of any suspected ill-treatment of helps,” said DC Nishant Yadav.

The administration has also asked the police to conduct checks and raids, along with the launch of a drive for the verification of agencies involved.

“We have sought help from the police against unlicensed agencies or those with a history of trafficking activities and similar offenses. Such agencies will be penalised and blacklisted,” added Yadav.

The administration has also announced compensation for the victim.

A couple, Manish Khattar and Kamaljeet Kaur, was arrested for an alleged physical torture of the 17-year-old domestic help in their house. Her ear was burned with a hot tong, and she had to undergo an ear surgery.

Meanwhile, the Gurugram police have seized a diary from the office of a Delhi-based placement agency during a search today. It was revealed that the agency had hired more than 18 domestic helps in the last four years. Out of them, three girls are working in Delhi, Chandigarh and Panipat, and the police is trying to contact them.

The agency owner Arun Turi and his partner Manoj Nag were produced in a city court after a two-day police remand and were sent to judicial custody.

The police conducted a search in the office of a placement agency, Nehru Group Services in Tagore Garden in Delhi. During the search, the police found that the agency was registered under the name of Arun’s wife as the proprietor. A diary was also seized, which included data of all domestic helps provided by the agency between 2019 and 2022.

ACP Udyog Vihar Manoj Kumar said most of the domestic helps provided by the agency in the last four years had already returned to their native places and three girls were in Chandigarh, Delhi and Panipat.

“We got the names and locations of the three domestic helps. We will be verifying their age and whether they were legally hired by the agency. We want to ensure that they are not being exploited by the agency”, said ACP Kumar.