Discreet enquiries by the officers of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) in disguise has disclosed that “commission” of ₹100-₹250 was being demanded by Bangalore One and Seva Sindhu Kendras to upload application of workers from unorganised sectors for availing ₹2,000 financial package announced by the government in view of the COVID-19 second wave lockdown.
Officers of KSLSA and the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) conducted enquiries in Bengaluru and seven other districts acting on the complaints on “commission” being collected in such centres for uploading applications for availing the benefit of relief package.
The report was submitted before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj on Tuesday during the hearing of PIL petition filed by Domestic Workers Rights Union.
The Bench directed the Secretary, Labour Department, to be present before the court on July 1 through videoconference with solution to address the issues pointed out in the report. Collection of “commission” was contrary to the claim made on behalf of the State government before the court that service of uploading applications in these centres is free of cost.
Interestingly, at one centre in Koramangala in the city, officers were told that they would collect ₹100-₹150 for uploading application and a gazetted government officer, whose signature is required for submission of application, would charge ₹100 for signature per application.
At a Bangalore One centre in BTM Layout, the report disclosed that though the centre’s personnel initially expressed ignorance of facility to receive application, on persistence by KSLSA officers in disguise, they revealed that “the application would be uploaded in that centre only if the application is filed through the local [then] councillor.”
While in Bengaluru city none other than KSLSA’s member-secretary H. Shashidhara Shetty, a judicial officer, visited some of these centres, other judicial officers attached to DLSAs made discreet enquiries in Mysuru, Belagavi, Mangaluru, Hassan, Ramanagaram, Bidar, and Shivamogga districts to ascertain the truth.
In certain instances, “commission” up to ₹1,000 was demanded. It was in Belagavi that the process of receiving applications was comparatively better compared to remaining seven districts. Even a telephone call made to the helpline – 155214 - to seek information on submitting applications, disclosed that the Seva Sindhu centres might charge “commission” up to ₹200.
Describing that demand of “commission” by the centres is about 10% of the ₹2,000 relief package offered by the Government, the report also pointed that the existing system to apply for relief package is resulting in genuine workers not claiming the benefit but “those workers or their groups who are politically or otherwise influential, have been successful in availing the financial packages.”
