Ggn maids struggle with cash crunch, late payments

Like most salaried citizens in the city, maids in Gurugram too are facing extreme challenges in trying to withdraw cash from banks and ATMs.  

Already facing enough hassles of not able to get money due to a shortage of cash in the ATMs and banks, the house maids highlight that payment of their salaries is also getting delayed due to demonetisation drive. 

Even as most of them possess a bank account, not being tech savvy is causing great difficulty for them. Most of them are unable to undertake online transactions. 

Further, the maids highlight that most of their daily purchases involve only cash dealings and not digital transactions which, therefore, make it all the more necessary to get their payments in cash and not transferred to their accounts. 

There is a huge demand of house maids in the city, as most of the working households require services of house maids for various tasks like cooking, sweeping to even babysitting. 

With a huge demand of house maids, most of them earn well in the Millennium City. A monthly earning of a maid can range between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000. 

Citing her inability to go for digital transactions, Rupali, who works as a housemaid in Sushant Lok said: “I have opened my Jan Dhan bank account and have also deposited a certain amount in it. I accept most of the earnings by cash as my daily purchases require only cash transactions. Demonetisation drive has affected me a great deal. I have to stand in long queues and finally, pray for a withdrawal and wait in anticipation. Now, my payment has also been delayed due to this.” 

In mentioning her experiences in dealing with her bank, Sharda, working as a cook in DLF Phase1 area said: “To begin with, it was very difficult for me to open my Jan Dhan account. It was only after a person for whom I work came with me personally that I was able to open the account with a private bank. But there has been no communication and assistance from the bank after that.”