The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has highlighted how the Swachhta Udyami Yojana (SUY), a component of the NAMASTE Scheme, has helped transform the life of a sanitation worker in Andhra Pradesh. Balamala Malli, a 30-year-old waste picker in Guntur, received financial support to move into mechanised sanitation work, demonstrating how targeted assistance can create dignified employment for vulnerable communities.
How the scheme worked for Balamala Malli
For ten years, Malli worked as a waste picker for Guntur Municipal Corporation, earning Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 per day, roughly Rs. 8,000 per month. He comes from a Scheduled Tribe background and grew up in poverty, unable to attend school. On 19 June 2023, he and four others formed a group project that received financial assistance through the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC).
The group obtained a 3-in-1 Jetting, Grabbing and Rodding Machine for mechanised sanitation work. The equipment cost Rs. 49,40,710 in total. This was funded through a loan of Rs. 30,80,530 and an upfront capital subsidy of Rs. 18,60,180.
After acquiring the machine, Malli’s earnings increased substantially. He now earns an additional Rs. 10,000 per month from mechanised sanitation operations, bringing his total monthly income to approximately Rs. 18,000. This represents more than a doubling of his previous income.
What this means for you
The scheme shows how financial help and access to modern equipment can lift sanitation workers out of poverty. Malli’s case demonstrates that group-based projects can create safer, better-paid work compared to informal waste-picking. For families like his—with three school-age children—the additional income means children can attend school regularly and the family can meet basic needs with greater stability. Similar support under SUY remains available to other sanitation workers and economically disadvantaged groups seeking to establish or improve their livelihoods through mechanised work.