With the State Governments failing to stem the menace of manual scavenging, the Centre on Wednesday rapped the Social Welfare and Rural Development Ministers from States for not taking adequate action to curb the social evil.
“Hardly 10-11 States are maintaining and sending us timely information on the people involved in the practice of manual scavenging. Till we don’t have ample information on the issue, it will be very difficult for us to rein in the social ill,” said Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment.
He was addressing a gathering at a conference of State Ministers on complete elimination of manual scavenging through effective implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabili-tation Act, 2013 in the Capital.
“State Governments should take initiatives for identifying whether the beneficiaries hold bank accounts or not. The Centre has launched so many initiative to help people evolve from this practice (of manual scavenging) but lack of ready data makes our task difficult,” said Gehlot.
“A one-time cash assistance of Rs40,000 to one identified manual scavenger from a family is available. If their account numbers are provided to us, we can directly deposit the assistance to them,” the Minister added.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Pl Punia, who was also present at the conference, demanded stern action against officials including District Magistrates, who are not implementing the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers Act.
“I strongly recommend that the officials responsible for implementing the provision of this act, including the District Magistrates should be booked under Section 4 of SC/ST of Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 for deliberately not discharging their duties,” said Punia.
Delhi Government’s Social Welfare Minister Sandeep Kumar said there were no manual scavengers in the Capital. Other State Governments, which were represented by their Ministers sought for revising the one-time cash assistance of Rs40,000, assistance for upgrading the sewerage system and training facilities for rehabilitated manual scavengers.