CHENNAI: Against the backdrop of the criticism from its allies as well as opposition parties regarding the manner in which the DMK government handled the strike of sanitation staff in Chennai, especially how they were evicted from the protest site on Wednesday night, the state government on Thursday announced six special schemes for these workers across the state.
The schemes, approved during the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister M K Stalin, include provision of free breakfast, housing, enhanced insurance cover, special focus in identifying and treating occupational diseases, support for self-employment, and support for children of sanitation workers to pursue higher education.
Stalin, in a post on X, said that his government would never compromise on the dignity of sanitation workers, who toil tirelessly at all hours to keep cities running every day.
Minister appeals to workers to give up strike
Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, who briefed the reporters, appealed to the workers protesting privatisation of solid waste management in two Greater Chennai Corporation zones, to give up their strike and return to work, emphasising that the government is keen about their welfare.
Highlighting that the sanitation workers faced issues in preparing and having breakfast since they report to work early in the morning, he said that for those working in urban local bodies, breakfast will be provided to them by the respective civic body free of cost. In the first phase, this scheme will be implemented in Chennai and later extended gradually to other parts of the state.
The minister said a separate scheme will be implemented to identify and treat occupational diseases faced by sanitation workers, who face high risk of contracting respiratory and skin-related ailments.
He also said the workers will receive insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh that would be paid to their families if they died in harness. This is in addition to the financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh being provided through the Cleanliness Workers Welfare Board, in such eventualities.
“To improve the socio-economic status of cleanliness workers and their families, when they start self-employment, they will be provided with a subsidy of 35% of the project cost up to a maximum of Rs 3.5 lakh. In addition, an interest subsidy of 6% will be granted to enable them to start the business and repay the loan without default. An annual allocation of Rs 10 crore will be made for this new scheme,” the minister said.
Thennarasu said a new higher education assistance scheme will be implemented for the children of the workers. Irrespective of which school they study in, the students will receive not only concessions in higher education fees, but also financial assistance towards hostel fees and the cost of books.
He said that in the next three years, 30,000 houses will be built through the welfare board under the schemes implemented by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board and Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board for allotment to sanitation workers who do not own a house. For those in rural areas, the workers will be prioritised for house allocation under the Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam Scheme.
Regarding the key demand of regularisation of their service and dropping the privatisation plan, the minister said, “Cases are pending before the Madras HC as well as before the labour tribunal. The government will take decisions based on the verdicts.”
On why the workers were forcibly detained at midnight, the minister said, “They were not evicted from the striking spot on the first day of the protest. Only after the HC verdict were they evicted.”