Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Friday inaugurated the distribution of NAMASTE Cards to waste pickers of the MCD Najafgarh Zone at an event in Matiala, Delhi.
The programme, held at the MCD Community Hall, marked a step towards the formal recognition and socio-economic empowerment of waste pickers under the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme.
Along with the NAMASTE Cards, Athawale also distributed Ayushman Cards to waste pickers, extending healthcare coverage to the sanitation workforce.
Addressing the gathering, Athawale lauded the contribution of waste pickers to keeping cities clean and described their work as essential to the country’s sanitation and public health efforts. He assured the workers of the government’s continued support to improve their working conditions and facilitate access to welfare schemes.
More than 300 waste pickers from the Najafgarh Zone participated in the programme.
NAMASTE is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment aimed at ensuring the safety, dignity and socio-economic upliftment of sanitation workers, including sewer and septic tank workers and waste pickers.
The scheme focuses on occupational safety, formal recognition of workers, healthcare and social security benefits, skill development and mechanisation of hazardous sanitation work, with the broader objective of eliminating hazardous manual cleaning practices across the country.
