Does charitable trusts come under RTI? I haven't yet found the answer for this, but would share my recent experience of false promises, cheating and even trying to blackmail with one of the charitable trusts in Wayanad, Kerala. This trust is called Nandanam Charitable Trust aka Nandanam agency wayanad and is based out of Anjukunnu, Wayanad, Kerala. 

The fee and registration

We were looking for a maid to look after our baby when we go to office and came to know about this agency through a friend of mine. We had multiple conversations with the proprietor Geeta and finally decided to hire a maid. Their fee was Rs. 10000 to the maid and Rs.1000 per month. They said they have recently increased the fee and the maids will do even household work. The agency fee of Rs. 1000 per month for three months and maid salary for one month needs to be paid upfront. Also, if we can't go to Wayanad and pick up the maid an extra amount of Rs. 500 needs to be paid. So we paid Rs. 13500 upfront on 30th Nov 2013 to the account number 0856101053615 in the name of T Seethammal with Canara Bank . And an untold thing is that even if you get maid for only 1 day they won't repay your three months agency fee, and what the agency will mostly do is take money, give you a maid who looks good initially and then tell some reason and change her after a month or two when some other request for maid come and send her there. As far as I could find the so called best maid of them Asha Mary from Bhadravathi near Shimoga hasn't stayed in any house for more than 1-2 months from what she has told us and from what we have heard from my friend's place where she used to work before. 

The maid who came and left

The maid Asha Mary who had mentioned to be a native of Bhadravathi near Shimoga, came on 2nd Dec 2013  to Bangalore Mysore Stallite bus stop and we went together with family to pick her in car. Initially my wife had come more leaves and the maid did not had to look after the baby much. She used to cook well, but was not very keen on looking after the baby or change pampers. Day by day we felt like whatever she is telling is contradicting with what she had told earlier. According to her, she eloped and married, and later she saw her husband with other women and hence came out to work for a change. She also said she has said in her native that she is working as a nurse. We too felt bad and gave her special consideration at home. She even said her husband sent divirce notice. But she used to get many calls and when my wife asked, she would tell it is her husband calling for money; but we never felt so. Anyway it is not our concern and we left it. However the agency lady was telling a different story that her husband is bedridden because of an accident and hence she came for work. Asha had said she was 28 and has two kids of age 14 and 8. Even though we were not concerned about her family, she used to tell us everything. We also paid her her first month salary which was sent to two of her accounts 0503101049846 in the name of Arogya Mary with Canara Bank and 64042403164 of Sangeetha with Canara Bank.

When the problems started

She had asked for a leave for 6 days initially which she increased to 10 days and later to 15 days, and also told not to tell agency. We couldn't afford that much leaves as we were working and hence told the agency. The agency told Asha wouldn't have told that and talked to Asha and she said she will only take six leaves. Problems started from then as she was not looking after the kid nor cooking or doing anything. She started telling stories to frighten us that she has done suicide attempts, showed us some marks and also told she don't know what she would be doing at times and all. We got a little afraid as we have to leave our baby alone with her during day time.  

Finally she created a situation and simply left home on January 10th 2014. She had previously told that she might go to her cousin who is in Bangalore and had given his number (8884333538). But when we called him, he first said he doesn't know her and later when we said we are going to file a man missing complaint he admitted that she is his sister but now not with him but with some other person in Bangalore. Finally he confirmed that she joined another house as a maid. I haven't explained the full story, it was a story full of lies. In one way we are happy that she has left because how we could leave our baby with someone who lies all day around.

Blackmailing and cheating

But now the agency were very rude to us when we asked for our money back. They said they have political support as they have supplied maid to a congress politician in Kerala K Muraleedharan and hence nobody can touch her. She also said she has bought many land over these years and have enough money through this business and can oppose anyone againt her. She also blackmailed us telling if we do something against her, like giving complaint in police, she would ask Asha to tell that my wife was not behaving good to her. We have pictures taken together at home and malls outside which can prove she was happy here. But my wife got afraid and then decided to ask for another maid instead of money back. Every day they will tell some some story like there is a maid Nisha 28, then said Nisha is gone for church feast, then said Nisha is not coming back and stories went on for a month. Meanwhile we had to sent the baby to daycare on a daily basis. 

After exactly a month after the maid left, we asked for our money back again. Then they said they had purposefully made us wait and will not send anyone. They did some calculations and came up with a figure and said they will pay back part of the advance salary but not the contract amount for three months. They had said they will provide maid for 90 days if we paid Rs. 3000 for three months, but now they changed their word and said even if it is for a day, they will charge Rs. 3000, and did not give back even a fraction of it. So looks like they take Rs. 3000 give a maid and then after a month or two send that maid to another place with some reasoning and take another Rs. 3000 from them. We have agreed for the same as we did not want to keep the fight on and waste our time. I am not sure if the agency was behind this drama or if Asha has lied to them something. Also heard from a friend that these agencies take three months money send someone and if some other request come, then make reasons withdraw the person and send them to the new house. Anyway as per their so called non-documented policies fee paid once will not be returned back.

Questions to be answered

I have many questions left:

1. What does a charitable organization which works for profit mean?

2. Is there any governing body that governs the charitable organizations?

3. Does public have the right to know the financial transaction details and internal functioning of charitable trusts through RTI?

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