Amid extra precautions to curb the spread of pandemic in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government has clarified that there has not be any ban on domestic helps, drivers and other service providers entering housing societies.

Pursuant to an increasing number of complaints by members of housing societies where office-bearers and managing committees have not been allowing entry to maids, drivers and other workers into the premises, the department of co-operation, marketing and textiles in a written communication has asked the commissioner and registrar of co-operation, co-operative society, Maharashtra, to ensure that office-bearers of housing societies must follow government guidelines issued from time to time.   

Underlining that the instructions issued by the government in connection with the lockdown in the background of the Covid-19 infection have not barred domestic workers and drivers from entering the premises of housing societies for work, the letter says, ‘‘The government has observed that the office bearers of co-operative housing societies are preparing regulations contrary to the directives of the government at the level of the society. The office bearers of the co-operative housing societies should follow the instructions issued by the government from time to time regarding the admission of domestic workers and drivers for work in the housing societies.’’ The letter also says that housing societies should not make rules contrary to these instructions.

“While we await the detailed guidelines/advice from commissioner and registrar of societies in this regards, Maharashtra societies welfare association (MahaSeva) has time and again informed office bearers and members that maid servants, domestic helps, tenant shifting, and completion of renovation work started before lockdown were never banned by any order or  notification. The managing committees cannot make their own rules in this regard but have o follow certain preventive measures and suggested SOP in this regard,” said Ramesh Prabhu, chairman, MahaSeva, a federation of housing society associations in the state that has been writing to the government and municipal corporation of greater Mumbai to issue guidelines to societies for Mission Begin Again.