The National Safai Karamchari Commission has set a deadline of one month for completion of a survey to determine the number of safai karamcharis still working as manual scavengers in Kalaburagi district.
Member of the National Safai Karamchari Commission Jagadish Hiremani, addressing the district officials at a review meeting here on Friday, said that the survey would help identify manual scavengers in urban local bodies as well as in gram panchayats to eliminate the practice of manual scavenging and rehabilitate families of scavengers as per the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013.
Although manual scavenging is prohibited and the Act enforced against such discriminatory practices, it still persists in some parts of the State, Mr Hiremani said and directed the officials to take steps to eradicate the practice by replacing it with machines and modern technology.
He called upon officials to educate safai karamcharis about the rehabilitation schemes of the national commission and the financial assistance extended to them for taking up self-employment ventures. The mahanagara palike should implement the national commission schemes by conducting career guidance for children of safai karamcharis who can avail themselves of loans ranging from ₹ 10,000 to ₹ 25 lakh, Mr. Hiremani said.
Mr. Hiremani welcomed the State government’s decision to regularise the services of 11,000 safai karamcharis.
