Insurance benefit for sanitation workers

In a major relief to sanitation workers in the state who of- ten face extremely poor and hazardous working conditions, and work without proper safety gear, exposing themselves to toxic waste and harmful gases, CM Mohan Charan Majhi Saturday announced a life insurance cover of ₹10 lakh to each one of them, and a compensation of ₹30 lakh if they lose their lives on duty. The decision will benefit over 10,000 sanitation workers from 115 cities and towns of the state. Significantly, the decision came a day after the NHRC directed the Secre- tary of Labour and Employment department, and the Angul district Magistrate to submit a report regarding the death of two sanitation workers in the district last year, including compensation to their families. According the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment data, the state had reported two deaths due to sewage tank cleaning incidents in the last five years (Cuttack, April 15, 2021), while in April this year, two workers had died of suffocation in Rayagada district while cleaning a well. Last month, four workers had died in Nabarangpur district during the construction of a septic tank

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PNN & AGENCIES

Bhubaneswar, July 26: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Saturday announced a life insurance cover of ₹10 lakh for sanitation workers, and a compensation of ₹30 lakh if they lose their lives on duty.

Majhi made the announcement after inaugurating a two-day national workshop on "Transforming Core Sanitation Work -- Safety, Dignity & Inclusion", organised by the Housing and Urban Development Department of the state government.