MP govt launches welfare scheme for housemaids

If you scold your housemaid for being frequently late, her demand for wage hike or vague replies, you may attract the chief minister’s ire.

After earning popularity and a nickname Mama (maternal uncle) through his pet mass-marriage scheme, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today appealed to the masses to address housemaids as ‘sister’ and not ‘kam wali bai’ (housemaid) as they are known in the state.

They will now have increased wages, social security, identity card, 45-day government payment, maternity leave, medical assistance, education and scholarships.

A new scheme — Gharelu Kamkaji Mahila Kalyan Yojna 2009 — is also on the cards to provide them a slew of facilities and involve them in developmental activities.

In another series of ‘Panchayat’ organised for them at his residence today, Chouhan invited as many as 100 housemaids and assured them of better facilities.

The freebies which he had offered to them are — revised wages, medical facilities to housemaid and her kith and kin up to Rs 20,000, scholarship of Rs 500-3,000 per annum to their children for elementary and higher studies, 45-day maternity leave and government payment, accidental and life insurance cover up to Rs 75,000, two hours skill upgrade paid (Rs 2,000) training, pension and below poverty line identity card.

Further, husband of a housemaid will also be entitled for government freebies — 15 days paid leave and she will also be paid Rs 1,000 to meet expenses of nutritious ‘laddoos’ normally prescribed for lactic mothers.

The local self governance department and local bodies like municipal corporations have been asked to issue identity certificates to housemaids so that their wards, particularly girl child, can get better education, safety and security. The state government will also share the expenses of marriages of housemaids’ daughters.

However, insiders in the government and his party said the chief minister wanted to divert attention of the public from ever-increasing power shortage, poor rains and unhappy investors.

“What happened to other panchayats, which he had organised at his residence? Has he any idea what happened to his announcements he had made for small scale industries?” an entrepreneur asked.