Residents allow domestic helps in Patna

PATNA: As the Centre has given green signal, domestic helps resumed work with safety restrictions in several households across the city.
“Ours is a joint family and it is not easy to manage without maids. We have two domestic helps, one for cooking and another for cleaning. As there are elders in the house, we are just calling the one for cleaning because cook is not required right now.There is a separate set of slippers, mask and gloves for her that we keep at the entrance,” said Sudha Yadav of Buddha Colony.
For elderly people like Sarita Sinha (62), maids play a very important role in day-to-day functioning. “I stay alone with my husband and both of us suffer from several diseases. I stopped calling the maid in the beginning, but it was really difficult to do the household chores. After the government lifted restrictions, she rejoined. Since she is working for quite a long time, she understands our needs. Therefore, she has kept a couple of her clothes at our house, which she changes every time she comes for work. We have also provided her with masks, gloves and sanitizers,” the Rajiv Nagar resident said.
The housing societies in the city have also allowed domestic helps from non-containment zones to recommence works. “Strict measures are being followed in order to keep the colony safe. Arrangements of sanitizers and handwash have been made at the main entrance. The colony members have also been asked to sanitize them again before entering the house,” said Patliputra cooperative society’s secretary Rai Ajeet Prasad.
Meanwhile, domestic helps claimed they were jobless for more than two months. Kanchan Kumari, who is a sweeper at a residential society in Nahar Khagaul Road, said: “It was quite difficult to run household with the little amount of savings I had. As soon as I received call from the building’s secretary to rejoin work, I assured him to follow all precautionary measures.”