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Haryana to implement ‘Namaste’ scheme to rehabilitate sanitation workers
While presiding over a meeting to review the implementation of the ‘Namaste’ scheme, Kaushal said that significant strides have been made in eradicating manual scavenging and rehabilitation of identified manual scavengers. Now, efforts are being made to fully mechanise the cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, while also prioritising the welfare of sanitation workers involved in these tasks, he said.
Haryana chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Thursday said that the state government is implementing the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem, also known as ‘Namaste’, with an aim at rehabilitating sanitation workers.
While presiding over a meeting to review the implementation of the ‘Namaste’ scheme, Kaushal said that significant strides have been made in eradicating manual scavenging and rehabilitation of identified manual scavengers. Now, efforts are being made to fully mechanise the cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, while also prioritising the welfare of sanitation workers involved in these tasks, he said.
The chief secretary said that this scheme’s primary objective is to guarantee the safety and dignity of sanitation workers across the state, ensuring them a sustainable livelihood. Additionally, the scheme aims at bolstering their capabilities, providing improved access to safe equipment and machinery, thereby enhancing occupational safety. This initiative is set to facilitate easier access to self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities while narrowing the gap in sanitation work.
The chief secretary said that the scheme will offer alternative livelihoods to workers engaged in sewage and septic tank cleaning, eliminating the risk to their lives. All sanitation tasks will be executed by trained professionals, ensuring that sanitation workers are not exposed to human waste. He said that a capital subsidy of ₹5 lakh for a maximum project cost of ₹15 lakh will be admissible to identified manual scavengers and sanitation workers and their dependents under the scheme. However, for projects of self-help groups/groups, the capital subsidy of ₹18.75 lakh for a maximum project cost of ₹50 lakh. The project would include general projects as well as sanitation-related projects. For sanitation-related projects, apart from manual scavengers, SSWs, sanitation workers and their dependents would also be eligible for assistance under the scheme whereas manual scavengers and their dependents would be eligible for self-employment projects (general projects).
