Bhubaneswar: The benefits provided under the Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923 and the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948, and Rules / Schemes framed thereunder shall be extended to the “Core Sanitation Workers, Grade-I” and “Core Sanitation Workers, Grade-II” under the “Garima” scheme in case they are not covered under the said Acts, stated the Housing & Urban Development (H&UD) Department on Friday.
The State Government has introduced a dedicated scheme titled “Garima” for the safety and dignity of the Core Sanitation Workers. The scheme provides for “Disability Support” and “Illness Allowance” in favour of the Core Sanitation Workers.
The Core Sanitation Workers often suffer partial or permanent or temporary disablement and/or sickness because of their prolonged exposure to toxic materials and harmful waste while working in hazardous conditions during employment.
The Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923 and the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 are the two major Legislations that provide for the extension of benefits in case of “Permanent total disablement” or “Permanent partial disablement” or “Temporary disablement” resulting from accidents arising out of and in the course of the employment or “Sickness” which requires medical treatment and attendance and necessitates abstention from work on medical grounds.
As the Core Sanitation Workers, Grade II are not covered under the provisions of the Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923, and the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 covers only those Core Sanitation Workers who have been registered with the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, there are many Core Sanitation Workers who do not fulfil the eligibility criteria specified in the said Acts / Schemes and are therefore debarred from availing the benefits provided under the said Legislations although they perform arduous nature of assignments.
Now, therefore, considering the need for security against any disablement/sickness resulting from injuries arising out of and in the course of the employment of the Core Sanitation Workers, the Government decided to extend the benefits of the said Acts to the “Core Sanitation Workers, Grade-I” and “Core Sanitation Workers, Grade-II”.
