Scores of sanitary staff in poverty; promised pension a mirage

DESPITE suffering in poverty and neglect, not even one temporary cleanliness worker among the lakhs in Tamil Nadu has got the monthly Old Age Pension (OAP) since the Tamil Nadu Cleanliness Workers Welfare Board was constituted in 2007.

- NIRUPAMA VISWANATHAN

While officials said that they haven't received any application for the 1,000 monthly pension sanctioned by the board and blamed it on poor awareness, activists fault the civic bodies for not educating workers on the welfare measure.

According to senior officials of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, under which the board falls, all temporary staff can receive the pension in addition to other state government entitlements as long as they do not draw benefits from any other labour department welfare boards.

Majority of applications received from such workers are for accident insurance under which the family members will receive 5 lakh in case of accident deaths and 1 to 5 lakh in case they suffer disability of hands, legs or eyes, officials said.

The lack of applications for pension, however, is in stark contrast to the number of sanitary workers who are in need of such post-retirement aid.