Govt toys with 'no touching' rule for bar employees

The state government has formed guidelines for bars and restaurants in the city that employ or wish to employ women.

The government has proposed 25 rules, including a “decent” dress code, prohibit physical contact such as petting and caressing 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 decision came in the backdrop of police raids on some watering holes in the city recently. The raids were prompted by the allegations that at some of the bars, women employees were ‘indulging’ customers. Stung by the raids, some bar owners had moved the HC.

Taking note of the issue, the HC asked the government to form guidelines for the safety and dignity of women employees, while sending them on a week-long leave. The government then formed a committee comprising senior police officers and the home secretary to frame rules on working conditions of women in bars, restaurants and discotheques.

The committee submitted its report to chief secretary SV Ranganath on Friday evening. The government would submit the report to the high court.