Bhubaneswar: Now each ward of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has a designated Sanitary Inspector (SI) with the joining of 37 new SIs today. These field-level resources are trained in the All India Institute of Local Self Govt. to comply with sanitation-related services and educate citizens on new approaches to sanitation.
On the occasion of the orientation programme, BMC Mayor Sulochana Das said: “It will further strengthen the pace of BMC’s sanitation drive as the added resource will be deployed soon to respond field level requirements. Their involvement and proactive participation will provide solutions to the citizens. The workforce will be in touch with communities, corporators and other field officials for ensuring the cleanliness of their respective wards”.
Addressing the newly-joined workforce, BMC Commissioner Vijaya Amruta Kulange, pictured the SIs as field guides who are available to the public. They are to prepare ward-level requirements and furnish their wards as per new initiatives of sanitation. As a value addition to city sanitation status, BMC has taken up initiatives like no advertisement on TPW (tree pole and wall), 5-metre radius cleaning, cleaning of grass, plastic and soil (GPS) from roads and the SAFA app. The Sis, with fresh knowledge, needs to acquire field exposure to fit into the situation, he added.
As the city is moving ahead to be more competitive concerning sanitation and complete management of wealth centres intensive community awareness will be the prime responsibility of the Sis. Along with other sanitation promotion staff, the Sis in each ward will be the sole coordinators to complement the activities required under new initiatives. Ward wise complete sanitary inspector position is for the first time in BMC and the team will continue its responsibilities as required from time to time; told Suvendu Kumar Sahoo, DC Sanitation BMC while giving an introduction to the orientation.
In his welcome address Pradipta Ku. Kanoongo Regional Director, All India Institute of Local Self Government mentioned that “Diploma in Sanitary Inspector started at Mumbai in the year 1959. It is approved by Govt. of India. Most of the students are engaged in Indian Railway, Municipalities, Hospitals, Star Hotels etc. In Odisha, the Sanitary Inspector Diploma course started in the year 2014. Now around 60 students are passing each year”.
Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Public Health standing committee chairman Biranchi Narayan Mahasupakar and other members, Addl. Commissioner Binaya Kumar Dash, Addl. Commissioner Suryawanshi Mayur Vikash, CFO BMC Labanya Sabara ZDC SW Zone Priyabrata Padhi, ZDC North Purandar Nanda, ZDC SW Ravinarayan Jethi and other officers of BMC.