Odisha CM Launches ‘GARIMA’ Scheme For Sanitation Workers

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday launched ‘GARIMA’ scheme to ensure the economic safety and social dignity of core sanitation workers in the state.

The chief minister said as the world is celebrating 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the scheme, which aims at ameliorating the condition of manual scavengers, will be a befitting contribution to his dream of social equality.

“In spite of the nation making several strides in various sectors competing with the best in the world, these underprivileged people were made to render this invaluable service to the society for generations, deprived of safety, dignity and a decent livelihood, apart from suffering social stigma and exclusion. Our conscience can never be calmed if we don’t take steps to correct this injustice,” he said.

Naveen said initially, a corpus fund of Rs 50 crore will be set up for the scheme which will be implemented by Housing and Urban Development department in the areas under all 114 civic bodies of the state. Around 20,000 core sanitation workers and their families with about one lakh population will benefit from the scheme.

Claiming the scheme to be a first of its kind by any state in the country, Housing and Urban Development minister Pratap Jena said it will provide a comprehensive package of institutionalising and regulating the core sanitation services, providing service level benefits, social security and financial benefits to core sanitation workers and their families.

The scheme will initiate a statewide survey to identify and register core sanitation workers. All core sanitation workers will receive skilling and training to improve their skills. Additionally, they will have access to counselling support to acquire new skills and financial support if they choose an alternative livelihood.

Other benefits of the scheme include introduction of special category of wages for core sanitation work, introduction of risk and hardship allowance, financial assistance to the families in the event of accident or injury, financial support in the form of house grant  and purchase of two-wheelers to the extent of 90% of the cost.

Besides, access to EPF, retirement benefits, post service benefits and illness allowance will provide further financial security to the core sanitation workers and their families under the GARIMA.