Thiruvananthapuram: The special council convened by the municipal corporation on Monday approved the decision to assign a set of works Haritha Karma Sena, The team will be responsible for creating awareness on source level waste management and may set up biogas plants to process waste at community level.
At present, 443 members have started work covering 14,375 houses in 41 wards of the city. Survey is going on in 82 wards.
The municipal corporation had earlier approved the decision to launch Harit Karma Sena workers in all the hundred wards for the collection of non-biodegradable waste.
In the council meeting held on January 7, the Health Standing Committee proposed that the workers would have to deposit an amount of Rs 4,000 per month as user fee and their monthly remuneration be fixed at Rs 10,500. In case of losses, the additional amount will be allocated from the Viability Gap Fund for a period of six months.
There was a proposal to consider the pay hike after six months. It was also decided that the workers of Harita Karma Sena would cover 40% of the houses in a ward on monthly basis.
During the council meeting, BJP councilor Girikumar had raised an objection regarding the mandatory collection of Rs 4,000 as user fee.
He said such a clause would be dropped from the proposal. The amount to be collected on monthly basis will be deposited in the joint account of Group Secretary and Chairman and salary will be taken from the same account.
According to the document prepared for the functioning of Harita Karma Sena workers, income from user charges, amount collected from sale of scrap and other items are the sources of monthly income.
The department has directed that special wages will be paid to the workers if the local bodies engage them in services other than collection and segregation of non-biodegradable material from door to door. However, the department has stated that VGF will not be given in local bodies where basic duties were not performed despite ideal conditions.
In 2018, the government allowed local bodies to use a specified amount from the scheme fund to provide VGF for six months for the activities of Harita Karma Sena. This amount was approved at the rate of Rs 23,175 per ward in gram panchayats, Rs 46,350 per ward in municipalities and Rs 92,700 per ward in corporations.
At present, 443 members have started work covering 14,375 houses in 41 wards of the city. Survey is going on in 82 wards.
The municipal corporation had earlier approved the decision to launch Harit Karma Sena workers in all the hundred wards for the collection of non-biodegradable waste.
In the council meeting held on January 7, the Health Standing Committee proposed that the workers would have to deposit an amount of Rs 4,000 per month as user fee and their monthly remuneration be fixed at Rs 10,500. In case of losses, the additional amount will be allocated from the Viability Gap Fund for a period of six months.
There was a proposal to consider the pay hike after six months. It was also decided that the workers of Harita Karma Sena would cover 40% of the houses in a ward on monthly basis.
During the council meeting, BJP councilor Girikumar had raised an objection regarding the mandatory collection of Rs 4,000 as user fee.
He said such a clause would be dropped from the proposal. The amount to be collected on monthly basis will be deposited in the joint account of Group Secretary and Chairman and salary will be taken from the same account.
According to the document prepared for the functioning of Harita Karma Sena workers, income from user charges, amount collected from sale of scrap and other items are the sources of monthly income.
The department has directed that special wages will be paid to the workers if the local bodies engage them in services other than collection and segregation of non-biodegradable material from door to door. However, the department has stated that VGF will not be given in local bodies where basic duties were not performed despite ideal conditions.
In 2018, the government allowed local bodies to use a specified amount from the scheme fund to provide VGF for six months for the activities of Harita Karma Sena. This amount was approved at the rate of Rs 23,175 per ward in gram panchayats, Rs 46,350 per ward in municipalities and Rs 92,700 per ward in corporations.
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