BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Friday, August 20, 2021 gave its nod to ‘risk and hardship’ allowance for core sanitation workers who will now get 15 pc incentive on their wage in recognition of the hazardous and arduous nature of their work. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the allowance for the welfare of these workers, said Housing and Urban Development Minister Pratap Jena.
The workers will also be treated as highly skilled and skilled workers from now on. While highly skilled labourers are entitled to a minimum wage of Rs 461, skilled workers will get Rs 401 a day and both the groups would also get an additional 15 pc of their wages as risk and hardship allowance inclusive of variable dearness allowance (VDA). This allowance will be paid to the workers along with the wages for the number of days they have worked.
“Apart from the new compensation which was earmarked for them in recognition of their efforts to keep cities clean, the sanitation workers will also earn the title of highly skilled or skilled workers depending on the nature of their work”, Jena said.
The State Labour and Employees State Insurance department has categorised desludging of sanitation systems, maintenance of sewer network, cleaning of inspection chambers, cleaning and maintenance of septic tanks as ‘highly skilled’ work and designated it ‘Grade I’, while cleaning of drains, operation and maintenance of public and community toilets and operation and management of Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs) come under ‘skilled’ work and categorised as Grade II’.
The Minister said the State government had launched Garima scheme to ensure safety of the sanitation workers.