Mayor K. Chandrika, on Monday, held a meeting with representatives of various Kudumbasree Clean Well unit members to discuss the rehabilitation package formulated by the city Corporation for them.
Following continued demands by the Clean Well workers, who have been rendered jobless by the ongoing agitation against the Vilappilsala solid-waste-treatment plant, the Corporation has come up with a programme to provide jobs to the workers in its decentralised waste treatment projects.
As per the proposal, the Clean Well workers from 74 units in the city will be trained in installation and maintenance of pipe composts in households. They will be deployed as service providers in the pipe compost installation projects under way in different wards.
The Corporation also plans to make use of the services of the Clean Well workers to collect and process garbage from roadsides and public places. The workers will be disbursed wages for this work under the Kudumbasree Urban Area Employment Programme.
Around 100 Clean Well workers from 50 units in the city participated in the meeting. The second batch of workers will meet the Mayor on Tuesday. Kudumbasree Mission executive director Sarada Muraleedharan was present at the meeting.
“We have assured the Kudumbasree workers that the Corporation will support the new health scheme and pension scheme being mooted for Kudumbasree workers by the State government,” Corporation health officer D. Sreekumar said.
“In the case of the pipe compost project, the Clean Well unit workers will have to coordinate with ward-level committees who are planning the implementation of the project,” he said.
He said the wages of the Clean Well unit workers would be covered in the subsidy disbursed to beneficiaries.
In a major move, the Kudumbasree Mission has consented to advance 75 per cent subsidy amount for beneficiaries of the pipe compost scheme on behalf of the city Corporation.
“Beneficiaries of source-level waste-treatment projects will be provided 50 per cent government subsidy and 25 per cent subsidy from the city Corporation. However, as per rules this amount can be handed over only after the implementation of the project. But since Kudumbasree has agreed to advance the amount, it will be a major boost for the Corporation,” Mr. Sreekumar said.
