The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will soon roll out a dedicated housing project for sanitation workers under the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Awas Yojana. The initiative, cleared after years of delay, is expected to provide 392 two-BHK flats in its first phase at mauja Nari on the city’s outskirts, with a project cost of ₹93 crore.
The announcement was made by Maharashtra State Safai Kamgar Commission chairman Shersingh alias Satish Dagor at the NMC headquarters in Civil Lines. He informed that the detailed project report has been approved and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to perform the bhoomipuja in the coming weeks.
Each of the flats will have a built-up area of 500 square feet. According to officials, the project is designed to provide sanitation workers and their families with proper residential facilities, marking a shift from makeshift housing colonies to planned accommodation. The flats will be allotted under the Ambedkar Awas Yojana, which was formulated to extend formal housing support to workers from marginalized backgrounds.
NMC officials confirmed that the project will be executed in multiple phases depending on the demand and funding availability. The first phase will cover nearly 400 families, with provisions for further expansion.
Mr. Dagor also announced that a state-backed cashless card scheme would be launched within a month for sanitation workers across Maharashtra. The card will carry health insurance coverage of up to ₹10 lakh, enabling beneficiaries and their families to avail treatment in private hospitals without out-of-pocket expenses.
The commission further emphasized efforts to improve opportunities for the next generation. A 2023 government resolution mandates that children of sanitation workers with educational qualifications will not be restricted to sanitation-related jobs and will instead be considered for employment in other fields based on merit.
One of the long-standing issues before the commission has been the confirmation of permanent status for 4,407 sanitation workers in Nagpur. According to Dagor, state-level approvals are in the final stage and the matter is expected to be resolved before Diwali.
Another reform announced was the introduction of a new attendance monitoring system. The existing smartwatch-based attendance will be phased out and replaced with a facial recognition system to improve accuracy and reduce errors.
The commission also disclosed plans to construct a Covid-19 memorial in Nagpur in honor of sanitation workers who lost their lives during the pandemic. The memorial will be developed as part of a civic tribute and is expected to be located at a prominent site in the city.
Mr. Dagor pointed out that NMC has improved its performance in the national Swachh Bharat Survekshan rankings, moving to 22nd position from 27th the previous year. He clarified that an earlier report about Nagpur slipping in the rankings was due to a technical error and confirmed that the civic body is targeting a place among the top 10 in future assessments.
He also credited NMC commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari for reducing pending cases of sanitation workers from over 1,000 to less than 200 in recent months. While noting that cities like Navi Mumbai and Pune have emerged as benchmarks in implementing sanitation policies, Dagor admitted that many other civic bodies continue to lag in adopting state guidelines.
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