Karnataka will impart scientific training to pourakarmikas (cleanliness workers) in rural areas on safe handling of garbage.Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar Khandre on Thursday issued a direction to the authorities concerned during his visit to the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Development in Bengaluru.He asked the authorities to share the best practices regarding garbage collection and handling with the pourakarmikas of all the village panchayats in the State besides training them on safe measures of handling garbage.Meanwhile, the Minister asked the institute to double the number of students who are currently being trained in bio-energy from the current strength of 150. He told the authorities to provide preference for rural students in training and train them in spoken English. Published - June 11, 2026 07:09 pm IST