Dubai, Oct 26 (UNI) India will stand by its demand for a minimum wage of 100 Bahraini dinars (about Dh974) for maids working in Bahrain, India's Ambassador to the Gulf country Balkrishna Shetty said.

''Why should anyone leave India to come here and not live with dignity? Those who choose to come to work here should be treated with respect and given their due,'' Mr Shetty was quoted by Gulf News as saying.

''In the past, a position in the Gulf looked attractive and many people wanted to seize the opportunity. But today, with the dramatic slide in the US and Gulf currencies and the improvement of living standards in India, not so many people are tempted by a life in the Gulf unless the conditions are satisfactory and adequate,'' the diplomat said.

The Indian Embassy implemented a new wage structure for Indian workers this month, starting with fixing a minimum monthly wage of 100 Bahraini dinars for housemaids and the provision by the employer of a mobile phone.

''Any employer in Bahrain who wants to recruit an Indian housemaid is now bound by an official agreement with the Indian embassy,'' he said.

UNI