Or is this a
classic case of :
Ø
Left
hand does not know what right hand is doing
Ø
Replicate
– Duplicate – Multiplicate
Context :
First all-India
survey on domestic workers kicks off
/ HINDU / 22 Nov 2021
Extract :
The first-ever All-India Survey on Domestic
Workers was flagged off by Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav on
Monday and the Ministry said it would be completed in a year.
The survey, being carried out by the Labour
Bureau, was aimed at :
# estimating the number and proportion of
domestic workers at the national-level and in the States; # the proportion of domestic workers who live-in / live-out,
engaged in informal employment and
Migrant / non-migrant;
# wages of
such workers; and
# other socio-economic factors
The survey would also include :
# details of the number of households with
live-in/live-out domestic workers and
# the average number of workers engaged
by various kinds of households, it stated.
Questionnaire
The questionnaire, which was released by Mr. Yadav at Monday’s
ceremony, would include:
# details about the size
of the household,
# religion,
# social group,
# monthly consumption
expenditure and
# the nature of the dwelling unit.
Information about the domestic workers, including their
# age,
# social group,
# migrant status,
# duration of work and
# type
of remuneration, ………………would be collected as well, the Ministry noted.
The impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on wages would also be a part of the survey that would cover 37 States
and Union Territories, covering 1.5 lakh
households in 742 districts. The
result of the survey was expected within one year.
===================================================
MY TAKE :
[ 1 ]
Why do I call it a “ Seven Year Itch “ ?
This survey was
conceived nearly 7 years ago. Read :
Ø Maid in
India ? ……………………………….[ 10 Aug 2015 ]
In this e-mail, I have elaborately listed ( as reported
in news report in 2015 ) :
11 Provisions of
the proposed “ National Policy for
Domestic Workers “
And added ;
# some 28 provisions which that news report did not mention
# what could be likely “ implications “ if such policy were to become a LAW
Ø Waiting
to see the Questionnaire …[ 05 Jan 2021 ]
Extract :
I anxiously await to see whether the
planned QUESTIONNAIRE covers the following questions that I had envisaged in my
following blog / email :
Domestic workers Survey : a Non-Starter ?
…………………………..[ 12 Oct 2020 ]
Extract :
DOMESIC WORKERS SURVEY
QUESTIONNAIRE
===================================================
[ A ] … EMPLOYER DATA
# Name
/ Aadhar No / Address / PAN
worker engaged )
# Name
of worker / Aadhar No / Address / Gender / Age / Jan Dhan
Account
# Mode of hire ( direct or through some manpower
supply agency )
# Working
since ( date )
# Whether issued any formal “ appointment letter “
# Monthly salary / Annual
Bonus amount
# Mode of salary payment ( Cash / Cheque / Digital
transfer to bank
account )
# Number of work-hours in a day
# Work timings
# Lunch-break
/ Tea break [ whether free lunch provided ]
# Weekly off day
# Paid Holidays per year
# Annual Privilege leave / Sick Leave / Casual Leave / leave without pay [
# Whether Uniform supplied
# Allowances if any ( Click “ Maid-in-India / 10 Aug 2015 “, for the list to
be
==================================================
I am afraid, before opening the door to
welcome the Surveyor, the house-holder would ask to see the questionnaire
Just a quick / cursory glance and he will
say :
“ Thank you but we
do not engage ANY domestic workers. My family members do all household chores “
Now you will appreciate, why I am afraid
this proposed survey would become a Non-Starter !
Could anything be
done to “ motivate / incentivize “ the house-holders to enthusiastically come
forward to supply the desired data ?
No solution would be
without “ accompanying problems “, but would following suggestion help ?
Surveyor says :
“ Sir / Madam,
Government has just
announced ( shows relevant circular from Finance Ministry ) that the total
amount of money that you annually pay to your domestic servants ( by way of
wages / bonuses / allowances etc ), is tax-deductible from
your annual PERSONAL INCOME TAX RETURN
Of course , this
exemption is conditional to your making ALL MONTHLY-ANNUAL payments , directly into the JAN DHAN ACCOUNTS of
your domestic workers and subject to TDS “
[ 2 ]
Why this could be a
classic case of :
Ø
Left
hand does not know what right hand is doing
Ø
Replicate
– Duplicate – Multiplicate ?
Some 3 months ago (
on 26 Aug ), Labour Ministry launched a portal e-SHRAM, to compile similar data for 38
crore ( 380 million ) Unorganized Workers ( which also include,
DOMESTIC WORKERS as a distinct category )
As of this morning,
this portal displays on its DASHBOARD,
following figures :
# Total No of registrations……………………………. 8,83, 89,203
# Of these, Domestic Workers…………………….1,53,87,996
# Nos registered Yesterday ( in 1 day )……………..26,87,480
When 17.7 LAKH “ Domestic Worker “
voluntarily registered ONLINE , every single day for past 87 days, then what is
the necessity of employing thousands of surveyors to visit 1.5 Lakh households ( out of approx. 30 crore / 300 million
households ), over a period of ONE YEAR , to compile the same data MANUALLY, at
a cost of hundreds of crores of rupees ?
All that was needed
was to add some more relevant / desired “ data fields “, if some one identified
himself / herself, as a DOMESTIC WORKER while filling up the form on e-SHRAM
portal !
Dear Shri Bhupender
Yadavji,
It is still not too
late to implement my suggestion and compile the desired data, at no extra cost
And it will take no more than 10 days to modify the software of e-SHRAM portal !
– and save 10
months of efforts ( with prospect of not being able to even analyze that data
because of garbage inputs ! )
With regards,
Hemen Parekh
/ hcp@RcruitGuru.com / 23
Nov 2021
Related Readings :
Domestic
Workers - Use and Abuse………………………… [ 11 July 2011 ]
CC :
Dear Prof S P Mukherjee ( Head of Expert
Committee ) / prof.mukherjee@gmail.com
Professor Rahul
Mukherjee / rmuk@iimcal.ac.in
Professor Debasis
Kundu / kundu@iitk.ac.in
Professor Kalyan Das / kalyanstat@gmail.com
