Berhampur Civic Body Turns Women Sanitation Workers Into Entrepreneurs

Berhampur: Berhampur Municipal Corporation has become the first ULB in the country to give loan benefits to women safai mitras under Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers Scheme.

The scheme has helped in transforming seven women Safaimitras into Berhampur Swacchta Bahini Entrepreneurs, who now own sewer/septic tank cleaning machines.

The women entrepreneurs, belonging to different Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of Mission Shakti, will now own, operate and manage the cleaning machines for liquid waste management in the city.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs tweeted this on Wednesday and said Berhampur became the first urban local body (ULB) in the country to give loan benefits to women under the Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers Scheme, which provides financial benefits to sanitation workers for their rehabilitation in alternative occupations.

“In doing so they have transformed 7 Women Safaimitras into ‘Berhampur Swacchta Bahini’ Entrepreneurs, who now own sewer/septic tank cleaning machines,” the ministry tweeted.

The loan benefits were facilitated in collaboration with the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation. These women sanitation workers also belong to different Mission Shakti self-help groups, the department said.

Berhampur Sub-Collector Keerthi Vasan said the “life- changing initiative” of the civic body for women sanitation workers would “pave way for many more to get inspired and follow this model”.