Jammu, Feb 14: Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Virendra Kumar on Friday said that the Union Government is committed to the welfare and wellbeing of sanitary workers.
This was stated by the union minister, while addressing a gathering at the State Convention Centre Jammu, where he distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and Ayushman health cards to sewer and septic tank workers.
Speaking about the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme, the minister emphasized that the focus is on prevention of hazardous cleaning and promotion of safe cleaning practices through trained and certified sanitation workers.
He added that this initiative is aimed at ensuring safety and maintaining the dignity of sanitation workers. “The objective of the scheme is to formalize and rehabilitate the persons engaged in hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks.”
He said that the intended outcome of the NAMASTE scheme is to achieve zero fatalities in sanitation work, undertaking cleaning operations through safety devices, all sanitation work to be performed by skilled workers and empowerment of sanitation workers through the formation of self-help groups and providing them entrepreneurship avenues.
Elaborating on the scheme, the minister said that its components include profiling of sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs), health insurance coverage under PMJAY, occupational safety training of workers, subsidies for procurement of sanitation-related vehicles and equipment, PPE kits and safety devices to workers and also a focus on increasing awareness about the safety and dignity of sanitary workers.
Talking in reference to equal opportunities for all, the minister highlighted that waste pickers engaged in solid waste management are now also included under the NAMASTE scheme, with the objective of providing safe, dignified and sustainable livelihoods by empowering them through various interventions.
He said that waste pickers will be enumerated and provided training on occupational safety and skill upgradation training.
Emphasising on the importance of cleanliness in our society, he said, “Sanitary workers have been the backbone of our communities who work tirelessly in every circumstance and we honor them today to ensure they live with dignity and honor.”
He added that awareness programs at the municipal and panchayat levels will be conducted to ensure that workers benefit from these provisions.
“Introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Namaste Yojana is a crucial step towards building Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, a country where every individual, irrespective of their occupation or background, is given the respect and opportunities they deserve,” the minister said.
He also thanked the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and all stakeholders for their tireless efforts in executing the scheme responsibly and effectively.
Later, the minister visited the ‘Outreach and Drop-in Center’ run by the NGO, JK Society for the Promotion of Youth and Masses under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction.
