‘Manual scavenging must be eradicated’

Member of the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis Manju Diler has said that manual scavenging should be eradicated not from GHMC alone, but also from private organisations.

During her visit to the city on Wednesday, Ms. Diler asked the GHMC officials to give preference to the Safai Karmachari community among Scheduled Castes in allocation of sweeping machines.

Issue EPF passbooks

She asked them to issue EPF passbooks to GHMC outsourcing employees, and record the credited amounts every month. “Children of Safai Karmacharis should be provided standard education, and their families be included into the State and central schemes for complete rehabilitation,” she said.

She expressed satisfaction at the wages given to sanitation workers, and said that only Mohali was paying more than GHMC in the entire country.

GHMC Additionl Commissioner Rahul Raj explained to Ms. Diler about the social security schemes, and other measures being implemented for sanitation workers.

Safai Karmacharis are being appointed in the posts of office subordinates, security guards, Town Planning staff, and others towards rehabilitation. Besides, exemptions in terms of EMD and eligibility are given to them in tenders for maintenance of public toilets.

Ms. Diler also met the representatives of the Safai Karmachari organisations during her visit.