Companies must give menstrual leave to women employees, says Minister Santosh Lad
Bengaluru: Labour Minister Santosh Lad has said that all companies must provide menstrual leave to women employees, and the state government will soon frame rules to ensure compliance. He clarified that once the government enacts the law, companies will be legally bound to implement it.
Speaking at a press conference at his official residence in Bengaluru on Saturday, following the recent cabinet approval for introducing a menstrual leave policy, the minister said, “Everyone must follow the law once it is made. Companies should not look at this as just a rule but also from a humanitarian point of view. We will hold further discussions and consultations before implementing the policy.”
When asked whether companies might hesitate to hire more women employees due to the new leave requirement, Lad responded, “Let’s implement it first and then see how it works out. In fact, several companies are already following such policies voluntarily.”
He said the government plans to either introduce a bill in the Legislative Assembly or issue an ordinance to bring the menstrual leave policy into effect. “Companies should have the sensitivity and common sense to understand why this leave is important. It’s about respecting women’s health needs,” he added.
Explaining the rationale, Lad said, “Companies must understand the issues faced by women. If we receive complaints about excessive leave being granted, we will review and decide what needs to be done. Women play a major role in society and at home. They manage households and also work outside, often under mental stress. Especially for middle-class working women, a single day of leave can help them return to work with greater focus and energy.”
Dr. Sapna, Associate Dean at Christ University and chairperson of the committee that studied the proposal, said the team had conducted extensive research before making recommendations. “We examined all relevant parameters carefully before submitting our report,” she said.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
