Job verification to cost more

Both industry and ordinary employers have to pay a higher job verification fee to the police department now. The department has quietly enhanced the fee for verification of antecedents using crime-criminal data by issuing a circular in June last doubling the fee for verification in respect of domestic help and also in respect of married alliance.

Accordingly, an employer has to pay Rs 6,000 for domestic help verification. The fee so far was Rs 3,000. Similarly in respect of domestic help and married alliance verification, a citizen has to pay Rs 2,000, as against Rs 1,000. The fee originally was Rs 60 for all categories.

This steep hike will affect industries also. For example, even a public sector unit like HAL has to pay Rs 6,000 for verification of antecedents of an apprentice, instead of Rs 2,000. This will also burden the jobless, Advocate and former Mysore University Syndicate member H A Venkatesh said at a press conference.

The police department's proposal for enhancement has been approved by the government through a government order. A circular in turn has been issued by the Director General and Inspector General of Police in June, 2005. No publicity has been given so far, though the GO directs wide publicity for the enhancement.

"The job of the police department is to provide service to the people. Revenue generation should not be its aim," Venkatesh said, urging the government to withdraw the order.