The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has highlighted the success of Shri Dharmendra Kumar Ray, a sanitation worker from Bihar who became an independent entrepreneur through the NAMASTE Scheme. His case shows how financial support and mechanised equipment can help sanitation professionals establish their own businesses and improve their families’ lives.
The scheme and what Ray received
Ray, 39 years old, worked for nearly four years as a machine operator with a private company in Noida, learning to maintain sewer-cleaning equipment and septic tank machinery. He wanted to start his own sanitation service but lacked the capital to buy the necessary machinery and vehicles.
Under the Swachhta Udyami Yojana component of the NAMASTE Scheme, Ray received both a loan and a subsidy to purchase equipment. The total project cost was Rs. 14,77,500. Of this, Rs. 7,38,750 came as a capital subsidy (money that does not need repayment) and Rs. 7,38,750 as a loan. With this support, he bought a Jetting Cum Graver Machine and a Mahindra Maxx City CBC 1.3 LX vehicle for sewer and septic tank cleaning work.
What this means for you
If you are a sanitation worker with experience in sewer or septic tank cleaning, this scheme shows a pathway to becoming self-employed rather than remaining a wage labourer. The combination of a subsidy and a loan can help you acquire the expensive machinery that makes independent work viable and more profitable.
Ray’s monthly earnings increased to Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000 after setting up his business. With this higher income, he brought his family to Noida and enrolled his children in school. The scheme thus addresses not just immediate income needs but also longer-term family stability and access to education for the next generation.