Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 6 Aug: Vice Chairman of the Uttarakhand State Safai Karmachari Commission, Bhagwat Prasad Makwana today expressed his strong displeasure at the practice of councillors hiring and removing sanitation workers. It may be recalled that the post Makwana holds is equivalent to the rank of Minister of State.
Makwana also gave instructions to the officials to ensure 100 percent registration of manual scavengers under the ‘NAMASTE’ scheme. In a review meeting held with various departments at the Municipal Corporation auditorium here today, Makwana asked all the municipal bodies in the state to appoint sanitation workers according to the set standards. He also directed the Social Welfare Officer to promptly issue identity cards to manual scavengers who are receiving grants from the central government and to take steps for their self-employment and rehabilitation.
During the meeting, Makwana expressed disappointment after finding that most executive officers from the departments were not aware of the content of the Manual Scavengers Act. He also sought an explanation from the officials concerned for the absence of representatives from the District Panchayat and Mussoorie Municipality.
When asked about the beautification of the Maharishi Valmiki temple inside the Municipal Corporation premises, Chief Municipal Commissioner Namami Bansal stated that the tender process is underway and assured that the Maharishi Valmiki Chowk would be identified by Saturday.
Makwana also instructed that qualified female sanitation workers should also be given the responsibility of sanitation supervisors. He praised the Municipal Corporation for including rag pickers in the ‘NAMASTE’ scheme.
Among those present at the meeting included Private Secretary Vinod Kumar, SDM, Sadar, Harigir, Police Sector Officer Vivek Singh Kutiyal, Senior Municipal Health Officer Dr Avinash Khanna, Municipal Corporation Safai Karmchari Union Branch President Rajesh Kumar, Secretary Dheeraj Bharti, Rashtriya Valmiki Krantikari Morcha National General Secretary Rajesh Rajoria, State President Rajendra Kesla, District Social Welfare Monitoring Committee members Anika Chhetri, Rajiv Rajouri, and Sanyam Kumar.
