Bhubaneswar(Kalinga Voice) : The Government have been pleased to sanction Disablement Compensation and Sickness compensation for the Core Sanitation Workers informed Sri Pratap Jena Minister Housing & Urban Development.
“With our Chief Minister’s approval of these Compensations, the State is demonstrating its commitment to protecting and enabling our society’s most disadvantaged people on both social and economic level” said Shri Jena. He also assures the process of commitment towards providing these welfare measures will continue in future. A notification regarding this has been issued by H&UD department today.
With an aim to ensure the safety and dignity of core sanitation workers, Chief Minister Shri Naveen Pattnaik launched the scheme ‘Garima’ on 11th September 2020 benefitting around 20000 sanitation worker who deals with human faecal waste and their families. Being first of its kind in the country, Scheme “Garima” plans to provide a comprehensive package of service level benefits, social security and financial benefits to Core Sanitation Workers and their families, thereby institutionalising and regulating the delivery of sanitation services.
The Scheme Garima” has achieved several milestones and being the pioneer in taking path breaking decisions to ensure welfare and protection of Core Sanitation Workers. A “Risk & Hardship Allowance” of 15% (Fifteen percent) of the wages (inclusive of VDA) has also been approved in favour of the Core Sanitation Workers grade-I.
The Scheme “Garima” envisages for provision of “Disability Support” in and “Illness Allowance” to Core Sanitation Workers as they are prone to injuries and infections while working in hazardous conditions which may lead partial and permanent disability.
With this revolutionary decision, Core Sanitation Workers will be getting the Disablement Compensation and Sickness compensation through existing Employees Compensation Act, 1923 or The Employees StateInsurance Act, 1948. Where the eligibility of Core Sanitation Worker will not meet with the above said Act , the benefits provided under the existing labour laws, i.e. The Employees Compensation Act, 1923 and The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 and schemes framed there under shall be extended to them through the “Corpus fund” created under the “Garima”.
