A momentous collaboration has been cemented as the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25. This strategic partnership aims to enhance the socio-economic upliftment of Safai Karamcharis, Manual Scavengers, Waste Pickers and their dependants. NSKFDC is continuously working for empowerment of these most vulnerable and deprived sections of society through its various loan based and non-loan-based schemes like Short Term Skill Development Training Programmes.

It focuses on complete mechanization of Sewer and Septic Tank cleaning operation by providing soft loans at low rates of interest to Sanitation Workers, Urban Local Bodies. Capital subsidy ranging from 50 to 32 percent is provided to sanitation workers taking up mechanized cleaning works under Swachhta Udyami Yojana (SUY). Adequate training is provided free of cost to sanitation workers regarding safety precautions, use of PPE kits and operation and maintenance of cleaning machines and equipments.

NSKFDC also provides loans upto Rs.1.00 lacs under its Mahila Samridhi Yojana and Micro Credit Finance Scheme. The overall rate of interest is 4% and 5%, respectively. The other loan schemes are General Term Loan and Green Business Schemes under which loans upto Rs.15.00 lacs and upto Rs.30.00 lacs respectively are provided with rate of interest at 6% and 1% rebate for women beneficiaries.

In FY 2022-23, NSKFDC has disbursed total loans of Rs.261.49 crores covering 43862 beneficiaries. About 80% of the beneficiaries are women. NSKFDC has set up a target to cover 52634 new beneficiaries in FY 2023-24 and 63161 new beneficiaries in FY 2024-25. NSKFDC has provided Skill development Training to 20686 sanitation workers and their dependents under SRMS and PM DAKSH Yojana during FY 2022-23. To strengthen the GOI initiatives for welfare of Safai Karamcharis, NSKFDC as per MoU shall be providing Skill Development Training to 11000 and 12500 beneficiaries in FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25, respectively under PM DAKSH Yojana.

MG/PD