The Karnataka government recently launched ‘Shakti’ – a scheme that offers free travel to women in non-premium services offered by Road Transport Corporation. Hence, women travelling via the state-run buses are issued free tickets. This scheme is a welcome move for women belonging to middle and lower-income families in Bengaluru and other cities who earlier used to spend a good chunk of their money on travel. Now they can save that money and use it for other household expenses.
5.71 lakh women availed the free travel Shakthi scheme in all four bus corporations on June 11, the 1st day of its launch. Ticket value of the women passengers is Rs 1.4 crore.@KSRTC_Journeys @BMTC_BENGALURU @nw_krtc @KKRTC_Journeys @XpressBengaluru @KannadaPrabha pic.twitter.com/HmsnVJ1EkT
— Aknisree Karthik (@aknisreekarthik) June 12, 2023
However, on the flip side, one woman named Manasi took to Twitter to share how people in her posh apartment in Bengaluru are looking to reduce the salaries being paid to female househelps because now they are travelling on buses for free.
In another low
People in my posh South Bangalore apartment are checking if we are cutting domestic help salaries because bus passes are free/not required..!?!??
cruel.
— Manasi (@manasip_) June 16, 2023
Apparently, the househelps used to negotiate higher salaries earlier to cover the expenses of travel and now that they do not have to spend that money anymore, people are checking if their salaries can be reduced.
Allegedly the justification being only if the individual had negotiated higher salary because of the bus pass. And acc to them it’s happening in ‘quite a few apartments’ ðŸ«
— Manasi (@manasip_) June 16, 2023
Apparently the bus pass costs ₹1500 or so a month so thats why cutting back on salaries.
— Manasi (@manasip_) June 16, 2023
Well this escalated.
Point is there’s logic, and there’s logic with context. And I’d rather argue on the latter.
Even if the pass cost ₹1500 per month, it would be additional ₹400 per house at max. IMHO it’s cruel to cut back.
— Manasi (@manasip_) June 16, 2023
Imagine being grossly underpaid despite doing challenging physical labour in this climate, and then having your salary reduced because you’re getting to travel for free because of the ‘Shakti’ scheme.
Domestic help work is extremely underpaid in India. There are very less opportunities to break out of that cycle and progress. It’s the duty of the government to provide concessions and it’s our moral duty to our country to add to that progress.
— Manasi (@manasip_) June 16, 2023
On learning about this, people online were left disgusted. Because people living in such ‘posh’ apartments have enough disposable income to spend on a luxurious lifestyle but when it comes to appropriately paying househelps, they suddenly become miserly. The salary they pay to househelps is almost equivalent to the amount of money they spend on one night out with friends.
Wow. I always observe, the privileged are the most chindi.
— S (@SugunaDew) June 16, 2023
Do they ever do these kinda negotiation after their appraisal?
— wakil sahiba (@lawerredup) June 16, 2023
Jitne zyada paise, utna chota dil 💔
— Amit (@leosamit) June 16, 2023
Please tell them to use their own logic and raise salaries retroactively for every price rise that has happened.
— Tara Krishnaswamy (@tarauk) June 16, 2023
They don’t bother paying their maids extra when the guests come or there is simply more work on certain days! But given a chance, they would explore reducing the wages in any which way possible.
— Kalai (@kalai_tnj) June 16, 2023
The same people also get the Bus Passes reimbursed by their company and want double digit salary increases.
— Dinesh (@roflmaoist) June 16, 2023
Househelps deserve to be paid appropriately and treated with respect. It is a shame to see some people treat them as though they don’t matter.