Sambalpur: The state government is laying a lot of stress on women empowerment for which it has formed the Mission Shakti department. The department focuses on providing livelihood opportunities to women in order to make them self-reliant.
Taking a leaf out of this, authorities of the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) have decided to engage women as drivers and loaders of garbage collection vans. They will be recruited through a selection process which has been underway.
These women drivers will drive the battery operated vehicles recently purchased by the civic body to transport waste materials in the town. These vehicles are eco-freindly because of low pollution emission.
They require less maintenance. Moreover, these vehicles being small in size can move easily in the lanes and by-lanes of the town and adjoining areas of Burla and Hirakud.
This was stated here by Subhankar Mohanty, enforcement officer of the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation. He said the civic body has placed order for purchase of 55 battery-operated vehicles, but 14 vehicles have been received in the first phase.
These vehicles will be deployed in Burla and Hirakud areas in the first phase where the waste generated by the households will be collected separately to transport them to dumping yards.
Later, the scheme will be implemented in rest of the wards, he said. A total of 110 women will be engaged in 55 vehicles. One of the women will work as a driver while the other will work as a loader. The civic body will ensure driving licenses and other facilities to these women.
PNN