Mysuru: If all goes well, then the Pourakarmikas from Karnataka will get a chance to tour foreign countries and get to know the techniques used by their counterparts in those countries while handling garbage and waste.
Karnataka State Safai Karmachari Commission President M R Venkatesha said that there are nearly 1,45 lac pourakarmikas who toil across the state and as per plan at least 1000 civic workers will be given a chance to tour foreign countries to know how the civic workers work in those nations. However, the destinations for the tour has not yet been finalised. “This will be more of a study tour. The civic workers would learn the techniques and impart the knowledge to their counterparts in the state,” said Venkatesha adding that passport and other formalities will be completed by designated agencies. Each batch will have 100 pourakarmikas and the tour will be taken by end of this year.
The idea, which was first mooted by Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya is now being lauded by the civic workers, who had never thought that their job could ever give them a chance to fly to a foreign country.
N Mara, President, Mysuru Mahanagara Palike Pourakarmikara Sangha said that the decision of the government is truly a motivation and an incentive for the pourakarmikas to work harder.
Helpline for pourakarmikas
Venkatesha also mentioned that helpline for pourakarmikas will be launched in January. It was the initiative of P Manivannan, Secretary of Social Welfare Department. “The helpline will enable pourakarmikas to lodge complaints if they are having any issues. The complaints will be taken seriously and addressed at the earliest” added Venkatesh. He also mentioned that nearly 42,000 pourakarmikas who are working on contract basis for many years will be made permanent in a phased manner. Apart from this, in days to come, short films and street plays will be taken up to spread awareness to general public about the nature of work done by the pourakarmikas. Further, a request will also be made to the education department to include a lesson on pourakarmikas as well.
