Karnataka to grant one day of menstrual leave per month for women employees across sectors: Report
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Bengaluru: In a landmark move, the Karnataka government is planning to introduce the Menstrual Leave Policy (MLP) 2025, which will grant female employees one day of paid menstrual leave every month, as reported by The New Indian Express on Thursday.
The policy is designed to address the health needs of women in the workforce and will be mandatory for both public and private sector employers.
The Karnataka cabinet is expected to discuss and approve the proposal during its meeting on Thursday. Once approved, the Menstrual Leave Policy will apply to all women employees across various industries, including government offices, various private sector industries like garment factories, multi-national companies, IT and other companies that are operating within the state.
Labour Minister Santosh Lad emphasised that Karnataka would become the first state to implement such a comprehensive policy. “This is applicable for all the women workforce irrespective of government and private sector. This will be a progressive bill,’’ TNIE quoted Lad as saying.
The policy has evolved from an initial proposal in 2024 that offered six menstrual leaves per year to its current version, which provides twelve days of paid leave annually. “I am aware of the physical pain and mental stress that every woman go through during this time. These days, women are in every field. This policy will help each one of them. I am hoping that this will be approved in the cabinet on Thursday,’’ Lad explained.
Karnataka’s move could have a significant impact, especially in Bengaluru, which hosts hundreds of garment factories and a large number of IT companies. The city has over five lakh garment workers, 90 percent of whom are women, along with many women employed in the IT sector. “This policy if approved will help women in large number,’’ Lad added.
Meanwhile, Kerala has introduced two days of menstrual leave per month for female trainees in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), while Bihar and Odisha have implemented a 12-day annual menstrual leave policy, limited to state government employees.
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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.
