The
National Commission for Safai Karamcharis convened a meeting here today to
review and monitor the implementation of “The Prohibition of Employment as
Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013” in the various
States/UTs.
Chairman,
NCSK said that the issue of achieving complete sanitation in the country is very
high on the agenda of the Government. The Prime Minister has also underlined
the importance of sanitation in his speech on the Independence Day. Swachh Bharat
campaign is to be launched from 2nd October on the birth anniversary
of Mahatma Gandhi with a target of achieving complete sanitation in the country
by 2019. Therefore, the need to ensure implementation of the Manuals
Scavengers Act, 2013 in its letter and spirit needs to be emphasized more.
Speaking
on the occasion, the Chairman expressed his unhappiness and said that the
Commission was extremely concerned about the tardy progress in the
implementation of the Act. Citing his visits to various States, the
Chairman said that the progress of the implementation of the Act is extremely
poor. The surveys reportedly conducted by the States to identify the manual
scavengers and the insanitary latrines are not done in a proper manner and the
questions are being raised about their credibility and accuracy of the
figures.
Unless
and until, the States play a pro-active role in implementing the Act, its
objectives cannot be achieved. Therefore, the State Governments were urged to
ensure that the states take a time bound action to eliminate both insanitary
latrines and manual scavenging. At the same time, the States were requested to
take effective action for the rehabilitation of the identified manual
scavengers. The Chairman again reiterated that the time bound action prescribed
in the Act need to be completed in letter and spirit and also requested the
participants to furnish the requisite details & information urgently to the
Commission.
The
Chairman NCSIC informed that as per the Houselisting and Housing Census, 2011
by the Registrar General of India, there are still some 26 lakh insanitary
latrines in the country.
a.
Latrines
from which night soil is disposed into open drain: 13 lakh
b.
Service
latrines in which night soil is;-
(i) Removed
by humans - 8 lakhs
(ii) Services
by animals - 5 lakhs
However,
the number of persons still engaged in manual scavenging is not available.
The
ongoing Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC), 2011 in rural India is, inter-alia,
capturing the data about the manual scavengers in rural areas, including the
non-statutory town.
The
Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act,
2013 which came into force on 6th December, 2013, is an important
tool for achieving the government’s objective of complete sanitation. The Act
addresses the twin problems of insanitary latrines and manual scavengers in a
very comprehensive manner. It provides for elaborate mechanisms at the local,
state and central level to ensure that the insanitary latrines which are the
root cause of manual scavenging are eliminated and the manual scavengers are
rehabilitated in alternative occupations on a sustainable basis.
As
per section 31(1) of the Act, the Commission has been mandated to monitor the
implementation of the Act. It states that the Commission shall perform the
following functions:
(a)
To
monitor the implementation of the Act;
(b) To
enquire into complaints regarding contravention of the provisions of the Act,
and to convey its findings to the concerned authorities with recommendations
requiring further action; and
(c) To
advise the Central and the State Governments for effective implementation of
the provisions of the Act.
(d) To
take suo motu notice of matter relating to non-implementation of the Act.
In
the discharge of its above mentioned functions, the Commission have been given
the powers to call for information with respect to any matter specified above
from any Government or local or other authority.
Members
of the Commission Dr. (Mrs.) Lata Omprakash Mahto, Shri Vijay Kumar and Shri
Gopal Krishan Sahotra and Shri T.R.Meena, Jt. Secretary also addressed the
meeting.
The
meeting chaired by Shri M.Shivanna, Chairman, NCSK was attended by the
representatives of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Telangana, Goa and Odisha and Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar Island,
Puducherry and Lakshdweep. Representatives of NSKFDC and Karnataka State Safai
Karamchari Commission.
The
representatives of the States/UTs gave detailed presentations on the progress
made by them for implementing the Act.
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