The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Compensation sought for families of sanitary workers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 26, 2007
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Compensation sought for families of sanitary workers

Staff Reporter

Many of them are asphyxiated while cleaning sewers

Chennai: Families of sanitary workers, including private and contract labourers, must be given compensation if the workers die of asphyxiation when cleaning sewers, members of the Sanitary Workers Welfare Board said here.

The board, formed in June, met for the first time on Thursday. Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister Tamilarasi chaired the meeting. Nine members from various districts presented their suggestions for improving the economic and social status of sanitary workers.

Board member Ramamoorthy from Coimbatore said private and contract workers, who cleaned sewers, were rarely given safety masks and gloves. Although the Workmen Compensation Act required solatium to be given the next of kin, the deaths of private and contract labourers were rarely compensated.

Thirunavukkarasu, another board member, said in cases where both parents were sanitary workers, their children were unable to get employment on compassionate grounds when one of the parents died. The reason cited was that one parent was still employed in the Government. Mr. Thirunavukkarasu urged that such candidates be considered for employment.

K.R. Ganesan, another member, said the Government must take more steps to abolish the practice of manual cleaning of sewers.

The recommendations

The suggestions would be compiled into a report to be recommended for implementation by the State Government. The recommendations include shift system for sanitary workers so that they could get their children ready for school, improved wages and better housing.

Adi Dravidar Welfare Secretary C. Muthukumarasamy urged the board to be more active so that funds allocated for welfare schemes reached beneficiaries.

Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation managing director S. Suriyan, Chennai Metrowater managing director Shiv Das Meena, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Secretary K. Deenabandu and officials from the Revenue, Labour and Town Panchayats departments also participated.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail