The State is in for another first with National Safai Karmachari Commission set to launch its rehabilitation programme for manual scavengers. The beneficiaries will get one time incentive of Rs 40,000 that will be directly credited to their bank accounts.
Disclosing this at a State-level workshop on ‘Prohibition of manual scavenging’ organised at Zilla Panchayat hall here, State nodal officer on manual scavenging, Sriprakash on Friday said that Union Minister for Social Welfare Kumari Selja will launch the programme at New Delhi on January 20.
First Sriprakash said that Karnataka will be the first among 35 States in the nation, where the Commission will directly credit the incentive to the bank accounts of 302 identified beneficiaries here.
Already, most of the bank accounts of the manual scavengers in the State have been opened.Sriprakash said, the Commission intends to get rid of manual scavenging, which involves them coming in direct contact with human waste.
Even those involved in cleaning the drains with bare hands are identified as manual scavengers, with the most of cities and towns yet to introduce underground drainage system for proper disposal of waste.
UGD system
Sriprakash said, among 205 urban local bodies in the State, 40 cities have UGD system. While the system is under construction in 129 cities, the remaining cities/ towns are yet to make a start.
Chairman of the Commission M Shivanna said all the city corporations, ZPs, TPs and GPs have been instructed to equip themselves with jetting and sucking machines, as an alternative to manual scavenging.
Stress is on to make it (machines) available at all the levels; district, taluk and hobli.He reiterated that action has been initiated against the officials who failed to check manual scavenging in Bangalore, Bagalkot, Chikkaballapur and Hassan districts.
Resource person Malleshappa apprised the gathering about ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013’ that was introduced in the fag end of 2013. The officials are required to brush up their knowledge on the Act, as it has made provisions for dedicated officials in the cadre of inspectors, among other avenues.