Special camp for cleaners kick-starts in NMMC

The state-level launch of the NAMASTE Yojana, a pioneering initiative by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, took place at the Knowledge Centre in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) headquarters. The profiling camp for NAMASTE scheme aims at providing various benefits to Safai Mitras engaged in sewage management, focusing on training, entrepreneurship, financial assistance, and health and insurance benefits.

The first phase of NAMASTE Yojana in NMMC targets 53 cleaners out of a total of 272.

City Engineer Sanjay Desai, Additional City Engineer Manoj Patil, Executive Engineer of Sewage Department Sudhakar More, along with Maharashtra State Coordinator of Namaste Yojana Priyanka Gangurde and Sopan Kadam, were present at the launch event.

The NAMASTE Yojana camp intends to offer updated training in changing technology to sanitation workers, fostering entrepreneurship, providing financial assistance, ensuring their health and that of their families, and extending the benefits of insurance schemes. State Coordinator Priyanka Gangurde emphasized the significance of the initiative and commended the NMMC for its commendable work, making it the chosen launch site for the scheme.

To avail various benefits, all cleaners in NMMC were urged to register their personal information on the namaste Yojana app. City Engineer Sanjay Desai appealed to Safaimitras to provide accurate and complete information, highlighting the importance of taking advantage of this scheme.

Additional City Engineer Manoj Patil pointed out that NMMC had adopted mechanical cleaning even before the central government enacted relevant legislation. He emphasized that the central-level database created through yojana would prove beneficial for sanitation workers.