New Delhi: In a move aimed at regulating domestic help placement agencies and preventing crimes involving domestic workers, Delhi govt has directed all such agencies to register on the e-District portal and obtain a licence from the labour department, making police verification of both domestic workers and employers mandatory.Officials said agencies have been given 15 days to complete the registration and licensing process. Those operating without the required registration or licence could face a penalty of Rs 50,000, cancellation of registration or licence, and prosecution.“Every private placement agency providing domestic workers must register on the e-District portal (edistrict.delhigovt.nic.in) of Delhi govt and obtain a licence from the joint/deputy labour commissioner concerned within 15 days. Police/character verification of the ‘domestic worker’ and ‘employer’ is mandatory for filing application for registration/license,” the labour department said in a notice issued Saturday.The department also warned agencies against continuing operations without complying with the prescribed requirements.“All private placement agencies are directed to obtain registration and license from labour department of Delhi govt immediately and do not operate without registration/license and further comply with the requirements of SOPs failing which penal action shall follow,” it stated.The move comes amid concerns over the risks associated with hiring domestic workers through unregulated placement agencies, where inadequate background checks and a lack of accountability may leave both households and workers vulnerable. Cases of theft, assault and other crimes involving domestic workers have been reported in the past, highlighting the need for stronger oversight.“On the other side, workers recruited through such agencies may also face exploitation because there exists little mechanism to trace the agency responsible for their placement. Mandatory registration and verification will help create an official record of agencies, employers and workers, making accountability easier,” an official said.The department has also advised residents to hire domestic workers only through licensed agencies and verify their credentials before employment.“Verify the private placement agency’s registration/license and insist on police verification of the workers before engaging such. Report unregistered/unlicensed private placement agencies immediately to the concerned district labour office and inform the incidence of any exploitation/harassment case instantly to the Delhi Police,” the order stated.Officials said the labour department is the nodal agency responsible for regulating and monitoring private placement agencies in Delhi.
