10/03/2021 - Society

KEY POINTS

Despite the existence of legal frameworks which strictly prohibit the practice of manual scavenging, women too, work as manual scavengers.

Legal mandates

·        The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation (PEMSR) Act, 2013 and the subsequent orders by the Supreme Court of India mandate justice, rights and freedom for manual scavengers.

·        Though there are programmes like the Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), the budget utilisation is far less than the allocation, indicating implementation gaps.

Measures needed

·        The guidelines for the SRMS need to be revised to include specific schemes, plans, targets, budgets.

·        All the affidavits, declarations and submissions made in the past by various urban and district authorities, which claim that their area is free of manual scavenging, should be declared as null and void.

·        Special mandate must be given to the urban and district administration to organise camps that ensure the enrolment of all these women and their families under schemes for supporting manual scavengers.

·        Incentives need to be provided to officials who accelerate the identification, enrolment and provision of benefits for persons, including women, engaged in manual scavenging.

·        Punitive measures need to be introduced for cases wherein the officials fail to enrol them and provide the mandated benefits.

·        Coverage of women currently or previously engaged in manual scavenging should be ensured under the National Urban and Rural Livelihood Missions.

·        Special financial incentives must be provided to households with insanitary dry latrines.

Please review. Thank you. 

Please review