Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Rajmohan on Monday said sanitation workers should not be viewed merely as cleaning staff but as “angels of cleanliness”, and announced several welfare measures for them in the Assembly.
Speaking during Question Hour, Rajmohan said the police had been instructed not to use any form of repression against sanitation workers involved in protests.
He said steps were being taken to provide compensation to families of sanitation workers who died while on duty. Action would also be taken to provide government jobs to one member of the families of workers who died during service.
The Minister said toilets and changing rooms exclusively for sanitation workers would be established by September 15. A pair of gloves would be provided every 15 days initially, with the quantity to be increased in the future.
The government was also considering providing a food allowance to sanitation workers instead of the existing morning breakfast arrangement, he said.
Rajmohan further said there would be good news regarding weekly holidays, paid maternity leave and an opportunity for sanitation workers to meet the Chief Minister.
Special camps would be conducted to facilitate the enrolment of sanitation workers in the medical insurance scheme, he added.
