BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Postal Region launched an eco-friendly initiative on Tuesday to encourage public voluntary funding for the disposal of recyclable items. Introduced as Lifestyle for Environment(LIFE), the concept is being trialled using just one individual. If successful, many individuals and NGOs will be roped in, says India Post.
Ragpicker Periasamy Govindan, who resides in a cubicle on St Marks Road, called a `Swachhata Entrepreneur’ by the Postal department, has been tasked with going door-to-door with a poster with a QR code on it. It can be scanned by people who would like to make a payment voluntarily. The Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Circle, Rajendra S Kumar told TNIE, “Govindan will collect plastic bottles, cardboard, e-waste and other products that can be recycled from households.
He will hand over the poster to them which suggests that if they wish to, they can pay any amount for the items collected. It is completely voluntary.” He added, “We are used to paying for whatever we consume but not for what we want to discard.
The objective is to persuade people to pay for what they are discarding. This is just a Proof of Concept.” Govindan, who has a disability, has resided in Bengaluru for many years.
Due to a lack of residential address as well as an Aadhaar card, he has not been given the disability pension as it is done only through the Direct Benefit Transfer Method which requires identity documents. The Postal department had opened a savin.