Dehradun – Bhagwat Prasad Makwana, Vice President (State Minister Rank) of the Uttarakhand State Safai Karamchari Commission, held a review meeting at the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun on Wednesday, addressing issues faced by sanitation workers, also known as Paryavaran Mitras. He emphasized that these workers must be included in all government welfare schemes.
Makwana called for the issuance of identity cards to every sanitation worker, ensuring they are covered under Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI). He proposed providing golden health cards to permanent workers and Ayushman Bharat cards to temporary ones.
The Vice President stressed the need for regular and timely salary payments, directing that each worker receive at least ₹500 per day. He instructed contractors managing outsourced workers to ensure monthly salaries are disbursed without delay.
Makwana also recommended timely Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs), simplified loan procedures, and the development of essential infrastructure like community halls and parks in sanitation workers’ settlements. He urged authorities to organize camps to correct errors in Aadhaar-bank account linkages and to inform workers about education loan schemes — up to ₹10 lakh for higher education in India and ₹20 lakh for studies abroad.
He expressed strong opposition to any form of exploitation or harassment of sanitation workers and demanded accountability from departments that failed to attend the meeting, including ARTO, LDM, Jal Sansthan, Labour Department, and Rishikesh Municipal Corporation.
Key officials present included Chief Municipal Health Officer Dr. Avinash Mehta, Additional Commissioner Hemant Kumar Verma, Assistant Commissioner Rajveer Singh Chauhan, District Development Officer Sunil Kumar, Social Welfare Officer Deepankar Ghidiyal, ADPRO Sanjay Badoni, and various municipal engineers, union representatives, and service agency delegates.
