Must for ST domestic helps to be registered with police
THE MOVE IS AIMED AT CHECKING TRAFFICKING AND EXPLOITATION OF MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT TRIBAL COMMUNITIES
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has made it mandatory for households employing scheduled tribes (ST) as domestic helps to register their details with their local police station and labour office to prevent trafficking of tribals and their exploitation.
This is being done to ensure that adolescents from tribal areas are not employed as domestic workers, and those in employment are not exploited.
The NCST has written to all state governments to ensure that this order is followed. States will have to make amendments to their relevant laws to implement the panel’s diktat. Details of both women and men from tribal communities who work as domestic helps, drivers and gardeners will have to be registered.
“Nobody should employ anyone from tribal areas who is under 18. And those who employ people belonging to scheduled tribes should make a full disclosure at the local police station and labour office about the emoluments being paid to them,” Raghav Chandra, secretary of the NCST told HT.
The NCST which is a constitutional body, has so far steered clear of proposing minimum salaries, but is hopeful that the process of registering the domestics will ensure that their salaries are paid on time and their working conditions can be monitored.
However, it is yet to firm up the details of a monitoring mechanism. The NCST investigates and monitors matters related to the safeguards provided for the STs under the Constitution.
“Anyone who does not make a disclosure about hiring an ST person would make a case against themselves, and in case of complaint (of mistreatment or nonpayment of dues) will be liable to be booked under the prevention of atrocities act,” Chandra said.
The NCST’s proposal comes in the wake of increasing complaints of harassment of domestic helps who come from the vulnerable tribes.
Unregulated employment agencies and the absence of monitoring have also been identified as reasons for trafficking of girls from tribal areas.