NAGPUR: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is set to initiate a housing project under the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Awas Yojana. Shersingh (Satish Dagor), chairman of the Maharashtra State Safai Kamgar Commission, announced on Monday that the first phase will include the construction of 392 two-BHK flats, each spanning 500 square feet, in mauja Nari at an estimated cost of ₹93 crore. A detailed project report has been approved, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to conduct the bhoomipuja soon.
“This project has been long overdue, but it has now overcome all obstacles and will provide dignified housing for sanitation workers,” Dagor stated during a press conference at the NMC headquarters in Civil Lines.
Additionally, Dagor mentioned an upcoming government-supported cashless card scheme that will offer health insurance coverage of up to ₹10 lakh for sanitation workers and their families. Anticipated to launch within a month, this scheme will enable them to seek treatment in private hospitals.
The commission also emphasized the importance of creating better opportunities for the next generation. According to a 2023 government resolution, educated children of sanitation workers will now qualify for jobs based on their qualifications, rather than being limited to sanitation-related roles.
Other announcements included plans for a Covid-19 memorial in Nagpur to honor sanitation workers who lost their lives during the pandemic, and progress in resolving the status of 4,407 sanitation workers pending confirmation of their permanent positions, with state-level approvals expected before Diwali. A new attendance monitoring system will replace smartwatches with facial recognition technology.
Dagor also noted that the NMC has improved its standings in the national cleanliness rankings of Swachh Bharat Survekshan, moving from 27th to 22nd place. He clarified that any previous reports suggesting a drop in rankings were due to a technical error. “The wrong information circulated across India; however, Nagpur’s ranking has indeed improved. Our goal is to reach the top 10,” he stated.
He commended NMC commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari for reducing pending cases for sanitation workers from over 1,000 to fewer than 200. Dagor mentioned Navi Mumbai and Pune as examples while recognizing that many other civic bodies are lagging in implementing state guidelines.
