Hyderabad: Newly built ‘wall’ puts maids of low income group in Begumpet face existential crisis

Some maids had also approached the United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations to take up their issue of providing regulated access to cross the railway tracks till an under pass is constructed

Hyderabad: The maids of the low income group areas of Matajinagar and Brahmanwadi in Begumpet are facing an existential crisis.

What raises concern is that for over three decades, most of them have been crossing the railway tracks adjoining Begumpet railway station and providing essential services to senior citizens and residents in the form of maids, cooks and other help.

---

Numbering over 1,000, this community of maids resides on the northern side of the Begumpet railway track, but service over 2,500 Households Methodist Colony, Umanagar and Kundanbagh on the southern side of the railway tracks. They earn between Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 and some of them work in more than two houses.

Interestingly most of the women hail from Mahbubnagar and Siddipet districts the strongholds of the ruling congress and the opposition BRS.

Few months ago, the railway authorities built a wall to close the access across the tracks. Apparently, the wall has been built to reduce accidents on the tracks.

“This has forced these women to take a circuitous route from Begumpet station side into the colonies, increasing the commute. They end up paying hefty money to the auto-rickshaws,” said Major Shiva Kiran from UFERWAS (United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations).

Some maids had also approached the United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations to take up their issue of providing regulated access to cross the railway tracks till an under pass is constructed.

“On speaking to the local corporator of the area, we understood that this problem persists all along the railway track stretch from Rajbhavan, MS Makhta up to Begumpet. Further, a field survey of the tracks revealed that large tracts of the tracks are still not walled whereas the access areas of the maids has attracted priority,” Shiva Kiran said adding that the access points were deliberately blocked with garbage to prevent access.

Shiva Kiran sought the attention of the State government on the issue and said all possible efforts were on reach out to the authorities concerned.