Bhubaneswar: In yet another step to provide livelihood support to transgender community, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) today signed an agreement with TG Swikruti SHG for the operation and maintenance of cesspool vehicles in the capital city here.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Mayor Sulochana Das and BMC Commissioner Vijaya Amruta Kulange.

Involvement of the TG group to manage cesspool service of the city is an important step by the BMC. The civic authorities have been involving the TG community in different responsibilities including management of parking lots, collection of taxes and sanitation activities.

“Now, the transgender community will manage the cesspool vehicles of BMC. The civic body has reposed faith on the TG community on the basis of their good work in handling other responsibilities under the BMC,” said the Mayor.

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At present, the BMC has a fleet of nine cesspool vehicles to address the citizens’ requirement for emptying of septic tank and transporting the sludge to the faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) at Rokat and Basuaghai.

Out of the nine cesspool vehicles of the BMC, seven will be handed over to the TG Swikruti group for operation and maintenance while the civic body will retain two vehicles for emptying the leachate tanks of Micro Composting Centres (MCCs) and meeting other urgencies, sources said.

“The BMC will not collect any performance security or monthly fee from the TG group. TG Swikruti group will engage one authorised driver and two helpers in each vehicle and pay the minimum applicable wages as notified for the core sanitation workers under Garima scheme,” said an official of the civic body.

“All the cesspool vehicle staffers should have Garima ID cards, uniforms and personal protective equipments (PPEs) for the operation of cesspool vehicles. Training will be imparted to all the vehicle staffers on dislodging service, health and hygiene, behaviour, PPE use and related protocols. Branding of vehicles will be done as per directives of BMC. The TG group will provide cesspool service as per the prescribed service charge,” added the official.

Corporators of the city, Additional Commissioner (Sanitation) Suvendu Kumar Sahoo, Deputy Commissioner (Sanitation) Manoranjan Sahoo and Deputy Commissioner (Vehicle) Ashok Kumar Lenka and TG Swikruti group team leader Meghana Sahoo were present on the occasion.