Disablement Compensation and Sickness compensation for core sanitation workers

Bhubaneswar: The State government has sanctioned Disablement Compensation and Sickness compensation for the core sanitation workers, Minister Housing & Urban Development Pratap Jena said.

“With our Hon’ble 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,” Jena said.

He also assured the process of commitment towards providing these welfare measures will continue in future. A notification regarding this has been issued by H&UD department on Friday. With an aim to ensure the safety and dignity of core sanitation workers, Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik launched the scheme ‘Garima’ on 11 September 2020 benefitting around 20000 sanitation workers who deal with human faecal waste.

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 per cent 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” and “Illness Allowance” to core sanitation workers as they are prone to injuries and infections while working in hazardous conditions which may lead to 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 State Insurance Act, 1948.