Bhubaneswar, July 27(OT Webdesk): Odisha has once again taken the national spotlight with the conclusion of the two-day National Conference on “Ensuring Dignity, Safety, and Inclusion of Core Sanitation Workers,” held under the state’s pioneering GARIMA initiative.
The event culminated in the adoption of the Bhubaneswar Declaration—a landmark framework aimed at safeguarding the rights and welfare of sanitation workers across India.
The conference brought together policymakers, experts, and sanitation advocates from 12 states and 34 development organisations.
Keynote speaker Smt. Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary of Housing & Urban Development, announced that the National GARIMA Workshop will now be held annually, reinforcing Odisha’s leadership in institutionalising sanitation worker welfare.
GARIMA, launched in 2020, has already registered over 10,000 sanitation workers, distributed PPE kits, and integrated welfare schemes with Urban Local Bodies.
The initiative also includes grievance redressal mechanisms and Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs).
The Bhubaneswar Declaration outlines commitments to:
- Strengthen social protection frameworks.
- Scale up Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards.
- Formalise informal workers through contractual reforms.
- Ensure inclusion of women and transgender workers.
- Leverage technology and data systems for welfare tracking.
Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra honoured sanitation marketplace vendors, while Director Arindam Dakua extended gratitude to all stakeholders.
The conference concluded with a shared resolve to uphold the dignity of sanitation workers through policy and practice—setting a national benchmark for inclusive urban governance
