Women Sanitation Workers: Four women sanitation workers invited to R-Day event in Delhi | Patna News
Patna: Four members of ‘Swachhangini’, a group of women sanitation workers engaged in mechanised cleaning in Patna municipal area, will be among the special invitees at the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.
Patna Municipal Corporation commissioner Animesh Kumar Parashar said the four members of the group – Rani Devi, Tetri Devi, Rinku Devi and Indu Devi – have been selected to attend the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on January 26.
“It is for the first time that the sanitation workers of Patna have got an opportunity to participate in the parade,” he added.
Swachhangini is an initiative of the civic body in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to eliminate the degrading and hazardous practice of manual cleaning of sewers and help the women employed in the scheme to become financially independent. Altogether 60 women are working under this initiative. Last year, this group of sanitation workers had put up their own tableaux at Independence Day parade at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, with a message of cleanliness.
All the four selected sanitation workers are elated.“It is a privilege to be part of the Republic Day parade. I never thought that I would be chosen as a special invitee for such a grand programme,” said Indu Devi.
Rani Devi, a resident of China Kothi near Mandiri drain in the city, said, “It is a very good initiative of the government to honour the frontline workers.”
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