India – 27 Jan 2012 –
Hundreds of rag-pickers gathered at the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike on Thursday, where they were given identity cards by the civic body.
A similar exercise was taken up in August last year when identity cards were given to around 200 of them.
Commissioner M.K. Shankarlinge Gowda said that rag-pickers could avail themselves of health benefits under the Vajpayee Arogyasri scheme with the identity cards. He said they would be distributed to the all rag-pickers in the city in phases.
He said as they are exposed to health hazards, “under the Arogyasri scheme, rag-pickers can avail benefits up to Rs. 50,000 each a year”. Nalini Shekar from the Alliance of Waste Pickers said that according to estimates, there are around 15,000 “green workers” in the city, who pick up dry waste from the roads. Read original article
Tweet
