Current Affairs :- March 2014
All the States and Union Territories were directed by Supreme Court of India on 27th March 2014 to implement Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
Bench comprised of Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice N V Ramana ordered a series of directions to abolish the practice of manual scavenging. The Apex court also deprecated the practice of manually removing night soil with bare hands, brooms or metal scrappers.
Guidelines by Supreme Court :
At least one member of their family shall be given, subject to eligibility and willingness, training in livelihood skill and shall be paid a monthly stipend during rehabilitation period. Besides, one adult member of the family is given subsidy or concessional loan for taking up an alternative occupation.
To address sewer deaths, it suggested that entering sewer lines without safety gears should be made a crime even in emergency situations. And for such death, a compensation of 10 lakh rupees should be given to the family of the died.
The people who were employed as scavengers should be allotted residential plots or constructed houses or money for such construction according to their eligibility and willingness.
Persons released from manual scavenging should not have to cross hurdles to receive what is their legitimate due under the law.
Safai karamchari women should be provided support for dignified livelihood in accordance with their choice of livelihood schemes.
The Railways should take time-bound strategy to end manual scavenging on the tracks and persons released from manual scavenging should not have to cross hurdles to receive what is their legitimate due under the law.
Important to note :
In the year 2002-03, there were 676009 identified manual scavengers in the country.
