The Karnataka state government has finally come out with a newly set list of guidelines for the women employees working at bars and restaurants at Bangalore.
According to official sources, the home department said that draft rules had been framed after consultation and inputs from police officers and other agencies.
“We will once again go through the rules as there are new transfers in the police department. We may submit the same to the high court after the policy is approved by the chief minister on Sunday”, a senior police officer said.]The proposed set of new rules consists of including a “decent” dress code, prohibit physical contact and specify working hours in accordance with labour laws.
Karnataka high court had on Tuesday asked all the bars and restaurants in the city to send their women employees on one-week leave.
The HC asked the state government to formulate guidelines for women employees of these establishments. The government then formed a committee comprising of senior police officers and the home secretary to frame rules on working conditions of women in bars, restaurants and discotheques.
he committee report was submitted to the chief secretary SV Ranganath on Friday evening. The government is supposed to submit the report to the high court for its early implementation.
The move comes in the backdrop of a petition filed by Bangalore Ladies’ Working Bar and Restaurant Owners’ Association accusing the police of forcibly closing down some bars and interfering in their work.
The petition also sought a directive to ensure smooth functioning of bars and restaurants.
Speaking to Indian Express, one of the members of the Bangalore Ladies Working Bar and Restaurant Owners’ Association said that more than 200 women working 20 different bars and restaurants had kept off work and they will return once the government formulates guidelines.