Jowai Municipal Board urges waste pickers & sanitation workers to enroll-exciting benefits await!

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 20, 2025

The CEO of the Jowai Municipal Board has informed the general public about the numerous benefits of the NAMASTE Scheme and encouraged all eligible waste pickers and sanitation workers to enroll.

The National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) is a government initiative launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. It is a comprehensive scheme designed to empower waste pickers and sewer & septic tank workers by profiling them and providing occupational ID cards, PPE kits, social security benefits, financial inclusion, healthcare assistance, and skill-upgradation training.

The scheme is open to both informal and formal workers engaged in waste management activities, including waste picking on streets, transfer stations, dumpsites, landfills, and disposal sites. It also covers itinerant waste buyers, waste pickers working under scrap dealers, and those involved in sorting or collaborating with Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), aggregators, material recovery facilities, recycling & repair centers, and door-to-door collection services.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the scheme, individuals must:

Have been engaged in waste management work for at least six months.
Be at least 18 years of age.
Provide valid government-issued identification, such as an Aadhaar Card, Ration Card, Voter ID, PAN Card, Driving License, E-Shram Card, BPL Card, or Labour Card. A mobile phone linked to Aadhaar is preferred.

Benefits of the Scheme

The NAMASTE Scheme offers several benefits, including:

Occupational photo ID cards for recognition.
Occupational safety training and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits.
Access to social protection schemes such as Ayushman Bharat health insurance, Pre-Matric Scholarship, and E-Shram registration.
Integration into Solid Waste Management (SWM) through collaboration with ULBs.
Access to Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) managed by Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and cooperatives.