Form committee to study problems of contract conservancy workers, NCSK tells T.N. government

National Commission for Safai Karamcharis chairperson M. Venkatesan (right) interacting with conservancy workers in the city on Wednesday. Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner Raja Gopal Sunkara (second right) is also in the picture.

The State Government that had formed a committee to study the impact of NEET should form a committee to study the plight of contract conservancy workers, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) Chairman M. Venkatesan said here on Wednesday.

“The Government which constituted the Justice (retd.) A.K. Rajan Committee to study the impact of NEET should form a similar committee to study the sufferings of conservancy workers engaged on contract to local bodies. The committee should be similarly headed by a retired judge,” he said after holding a review meeting with officials.

He was sure that such a committee would strongly recommend ending the contract system, for the problems of contract conservancy workers were manifold. “It is one of the most corrupt systems that I’ve seen and there is a massive scam.”

Mr. Venkatesan said the commission would also urge the Government to constitute a State commission on the lines of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis. It should also establish a conservancy workers’ development corporation like the one that exists at the national-level.

Tamil Nadu had only a welfare board for conservancy workers, for which a Minister was chairperson. The welfare board did not have as much powers as a commission would have. It could neither inquire into complaints or forward recommendations to the Government.

What the State needed was a commission, he said and pointed out that Karnataka had such a commission for conservancy workers, which was functioning with sufficient independence.

The State Government had claimed that there was no manual scavenging in the State. The commission had not received any complaint, so far. If it were to receive complaints of manual scavenging, it would take a serious view. But, unfortunately, there were only verbal complaints.

The fact that awareness that people or conservancy workers could approach the commission with such complaints was very poor in this part of the country. Since his assuming office about six months ago, he had not received any such complaint and was forced to go by media reports, he averred.