‘Provide housing for street sweepers under PMRY scheme’

THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
Member of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis  Dilip K Hathibed on Wednesday urged Chief Officers of municipal bodies in South Goa to make provision for residential housing quarters for municipal workers engaged in the city’s cleanliness under the Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana scheme or DPDC scheme.  
 While stressing on the need to introduce group insurance scheme for the safai karmacharis, he lamented that most of the officials have no knowledge of the schemes meant for the karamcharis, suggesting that the information department take various schemes to the door steps of the safai karamcharis.  
 At an interaction with officials of the Social Welfare department, Municipal Chief Officers and Civic officials in the South Goa District Collectorate on Wednesday, Hathibed wondered why the civic bodies in South Goa have not built residential quarters for the safai karamcharis, while saying the municipal bodies should seek the help of the District Collector to build the quarters under the PMRY or DPDC scheme.
Incidentally, senior local officials told The Goan that the DPDC scheme is not applicable in the state of Goa unlike other states.  
 Hathibed also sought to know from Margao municipal Chief Officer Johnson Fernandes why the permanent safai karamcharis  engaged by the civic body have no residential quarters funded by the civic body. When Johnson pointed out that paucity of land is one of the reasons, Hathibed said the civic body can seek the assistance of the District Collector to acquire the land for the housing purpose.
Officials, however, said the municipal bodies make a provision in the settlement for various amenities to the workers, including medical allowance, uniform allowance and other benefits.  
 While questioning the municipal bodies for failure to have group insurance scheme for the karamcharis, when the workers are engaged in the work of sewer lines and other waste collection, he underlined the need to bring all these kinds of workers under the ambit of group insurance.  
When Hathibed sought to know from the SC/ST Finance Corporations on loans issued to safai karamcharis , an official pointed out while loans can be advanced to any applicant, recoveries of loans is an issue faced by the Corporation.  
 Meanwhile, the Mormugao Municipal Chief officer said the civic body provides accommodation for 80 workers.
Hathibed also sought details of the tourism officials on the status of karamcharis, with a senior official explaining that the tourism department outsourced waste collection and disposal to the agencies.  
Hathibed later told the media that many departments had no knowledge of the schemes available for safai karamcharis when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed on cleanliness of the country.
“I told them that under the PMRY, these workers can get a shelter. I will submit my report to the Commission for action”, he said.