The State Government has suspended Chamundi Hill Gram Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) Anand pending inquiry and a case has been registered against GP president Geetha for allegedly asking two pourakarmikas to get into a manhole to clean it at Tavarakatte village within the GP limits.
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj H.K. Patil informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that a case has been registered against Ms. Geetha and Mr. Ananda in Krishnaraja Police station for violating the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013.
Even though manual scavenging has been banned, Ms. Geetha made two civic workers — Ganesh and Cheluva — get into the manhole located near her house and clean it. In fact, the PDO told the GP president that pourakarmikas have been appointed for the purpose of cleaning manholes and it was their responsibility to do it.
A case has been registered against the GP president under column 43 (a) and 48 under the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, 1993, Mr. Patil said.
The officials of ZP and Social Welfare department visited the spot following the directions of the ZP CEO P. Shivashankar. Mr. Patil said the department would take stern action against officials encouraging manual scavenging in the State.
