Events & Personalities
Helping sewer cleaners
Moved by the unhygienic and dangerous condition of Bombay sanitation workers, Tata Trust chairman Ratan Tata has "initiated an 
ambitious project to clean up the lives of the cleaners,” states The Times of India of April 30, 2018.
"The Trust’s Mission Garima (dignity) seeks to promote safe and humane working conditions for the 40,000 odd workers who dive into the city’s sewers, sweep the streets and work in garbage dumps. The project, in partnership with BMC, also hopes to shake off old mindsets and sensitize the various stakeholders on how waste should be everyone’s collective concern.
"The report addresses the larger issues — such as that 40% of the city is not connected to sewer lines — as well as details the quality of gloves and masks worn by those who have to negotiate the underbelly of the metropolis.
ambitious project to clean up the lives of the cleaners,” states The Times of India of April 30, 2018."The Trust’s Mission Garima (dignity) seeks to promote safe and humane working conditions for the 40,000 odd workers who dive into the city’s sewers, sweep the streets and work in garbage dumps. The project, in partnership with BMC, also hopes to shake off old mindsets and sensitize the various stakeholders on how waste should be everyone’s collective concern.
"The report addresses the larger issues — such as that 40% of the city is not connected to sewer lines — as well as details the quality of gloves and masks worn by those who have to negotiate the underbelly of the metropolis.
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Tata Trusts will help the city’s sewage
workers Photo for representational purposes, Wikipedia
"Most of the workers suffer from job-related respiratory and skin ailments and have limited access to affordable health care. Many die before they can avail of pension,” says Seema Redkar, a former BMC employee now with Tata Trusts. "Majority of them belong to the scheduled castes. The project has launched a health plan at concessional rates,” stated the report.
The Bombay High Court has stayed notices issued by the income tax department to show cause why the registration of six Tata Trusts should not be cancelled, notes The Times of India of May 27, 2018. Issuing the interim stay, a bench comprising Justices M. S. Sanklecha and S. K. Shinde observed that the notices appear prima facie to be "without jurisdiction” as contended by Tata Trusts counsel Darius Khambata who termed the notice "an abuse of power.”
A USD 50 million donation to the Harvard Business School by the Tata Trusts is under investigation, according to media sources. The Public Accounts Committee’s subcommittee on Direct and Indirect Taxes is reportedly examining the details of the gift.
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