The Karnataka Government’s scheme to provide free bus passes to garment workers continues to receive lukewarm response. In last three months, since the scheme started, barely less than 200 garment workers have taken benefit of this initiative.
It is worth stating here that the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) had estimated that 3 lakh workers in the city, working in 800 factories, would benefit from it.
A regular non-AC monthly bus pass costs around Rs. 1,050 and a majority of garment workers find it unaffordable.
As per the policy decision, garment factories and the State Government will each bear 40 per cent of the cost of the pass, while the BMTC will bear the remaining 20 per cent.
In Bengaluru, some garment factories provide transport services to their workers, while the majority of the workers rely on autos or make the commute by foot.
The industry representative, familiar with the matter, believes that apathy on the part of the Karnataka Labour Welfare Board is the reason that only very few workers are getting benefits of this scheme.
Jayaram KR, legal advisor of the Garments and Textile Workers’ Union said that the board has entrusted the responsibility on garment factory owners to identify the beneficiaries. The onus is on them to approach the board for passes to be issued. This is a major drawback.
He added that the board should invite applications from workers themselves and verify their credentials with help of Provident Fund, Aadhaar and other documents. After the verification process, measures should be taken to issue passes to garment workers.
V. Anbukumar, MD, BMTC said that he has written to the Labour Department to take up the matter with the garment factories to create more awareness about the initiative amongst garment workers.
