Pune: A waste pickers’ union has demanded that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) provide their workers with life cover and include them in the health scheme offered to the civic staff.The union on Friday wrote a letter to the civic body raising the demand following the death of a waste picker in an accident while on duty.“The compensation offered to the deceased’s family is very low. It brings us to the point that the lives of waste pickers and their families should be secured. They should get benefits of govt health schemes and be entitled to proper compensation,” said Yogesh Manjula of Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat, an organisation working in solid waste management.It was written in the letter that a waste picker of Gosavi Vasti in Karvenagar area used to collect waste on a handcart in the Paud Road area for the last 15 years. His wife does the same work. On April 24, around 7.30am, a speeding PMPML bus banged him and his handcart from behind while he was on duty in Kothrud. He sustained serious head injuries and was rushed to the hospital. A deposit of Rs50,000 had to be paid immediately for the medical treatment. His family borrowed money to pay the amount. After battling for his life for 27 days, the man passed away on the night of May 21. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons.The group has demanded contributory health scheme (CHS) for waste pickers. The CHS is designed for civic employees and former corporators, wherein the PMC covers the vast majority of hospitalisation and medical expenses directly at empanelled hospitals, with minor co-pays for employees.A senior official of PMC’s solid waste management department said, “The changes in the civic scheme will be a policy decision. All due permissions from bodies like the standing committee and the general body will be required. A proposal regarding waste pickers’ demands will be considered.”
