BHUBANESWAR: Core sanitation workers engaged in different hazardous works in the State can now avail benefits of Employee’s Compensation Act and Employees State Insurance (ESI) Act under Garima scheme. A notification to this effect was issued by the Housing and Urban Development department on Friday.
According to it, the disablement and sickness compensation benefits provided under the Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923 and the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 will be extended to the grade-I and II core sanitation workers. Both the acts provide benefits in case of disability, permanent or temporary, and sickness arising out of any hazardous work that need absence from work under medical grounds.
Till now, the grade-II core sanitation workers were not covered under the Employee’s Compensation Act at present. Besides, the ESI Act covers only those core sanitation workers who have been registered with ESI Corporation.
“As many core sanitation workers had not registered with the corporation, they were debarred from availing the benefits provided under the ESI legislation despite the arduous nature of their work,” an official of the department said. He added that the fresh decision will extend the benefit of the acts to core sanitation workers of both the categories.
The State Government introduced Garima scheme in 2020 to ensure safety and dignity of around 20,000 core sanitation workers who often suffer partial, permanent or temporary disability or sickness due to prolonged exposure to toxic materials and harmful waste while working in hazardous conditions.
H&UD Minister Pratap Jena said, “Extending benefits of the Employee’s Compensation and ESI act is a welfare measure to protect the most disadvantaged people of our society.”Considering the nature of work of core sanitation workers, the State government had approved ‘risk and hardship’ allowance for such workers last year to provide them a 15 pc incentive on their wages.