152 manhole workers' death: Gujarat govt "fails" to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation, required under 2013 law

By Our Representative
In a glaring instance of indifference, the Gujarat government has failed to execute the crucial provision of a 2013 law which requires payment of Rs 10 lakh compensation for the death of 152 manhole workers in a decade due to asphyxiation in the state.
Bringing this to light, Jitendra Rathod, senior activist with Ahmedabad-based NGO Janvikas, says, the Supreme Court order dated March 27, 2014 wanted the provision of the payment of compensation under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, to be strictly implemented with retrospective effect.
Stating that “so far no action has been taken by the state government in last two years in implementing the 2013 Act”, Rathod blames the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), which is supposed the implement it.
Quoting from the Act, which came into effect on December 6, 2013, Rathod says, the NCSK is required to not only “inquire into complaints regarding contravention of the provisions of this Act, and to convey its findings to the concerned authorities with recommendations requiring further action.”
It is also mandated to “take suo motu notice of matter relating to non-implementation of the Act”, even as advising Central and the state governments for “effective implementation” of its provisions. Also, it is empowered to “call for information with respect to any matter specified in that subsection from any government or local or other authority.”
“I filed a complaint on September 10 on non-implementation of the Act of 2013 with the NCSK”, says Rathod, but says, he was “shocked” to find that the contents of the NCSK website is outdated by 20 years.
“It quotes 1991 census for Scheduled Castes (SCs) population”, Rathod says, adding, “It quotes the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines Prohibition Act, 1993”, instead of the latest 2013 Act.
At one point, says Rathod, the website, which talks of Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme and National Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers, hopes to eradicate the “inhuman practice of manual scavenging will December 31, 007.”
“There is nothing about the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, the judgment of the Supreme Court to identify and award compensation of Rs 10 lakh, the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules 2013, or the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers, as revised in November 2013”, Rathod says.
Nor does the website have any “system for redressing grievances, roles and responsibilities of the SCSK to ensure effective implementation of the Act of 2013”, he adds.
Further, he says, ““In grievances section, there is nothing about manual scavenging in the website”, pointing out, “We have concrete details of more than 200 spots in Ahmedabad city, where sweepers are forced by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to manually clean/handle/remove human excreta every day.”

Comments

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

'Anti-poor stand': Even British wouldn't reduce Railways' sleeper and general coaches

By Anandi Pandey, Sandeep Pandey* Probably even the British, who introduced railways in India, would not have done what the Bhartiya Janata Party government is doing. The number of Sleeper and General class coaches in various trains are surreptitiously and ominously disappearing accompanied by a simultaneous increase in Air Conditioned coaches. In the characteristic style of BJP government there was no discussion or debate on this move by the Indian Railways either in the Parliament or outside of it.

Why convert growing badminton popularity into an 'inclusive sports opportunity'

By Sudhansu R Das Over the years badminton has become the second most popular game in the world after soccer. Today, nearly 220 million people across the world play badminton. The game has become very popular in urban India after India won medals in various international badminton tournaments. One will come across a badminton court in every one kilometer radius of Hyderabad.

Faith leaders agree: All religious places should display ‘anti-child marriage’ messages

By Jitendra Parmar* As many as 17 faith leaders, together for an interfaith dialogue on child marriage in New Delhi, unanimously have agreed that no faith allows or endorses child marriage. The faith leaders advocated that all religious places should display information on child marriage.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Ayurveda, Sidda, and knowledge: Three-day workshop begins in Pala town

By Rosamma Thomas* Pala town in Kottayam district of Kerala is about 25 km from the district headquarters. St Thomas College in Pala is currently hosting a three-day workshop on knowledge systems, and gathered together are philosophers, sociologists, medical practitioners in homeopathy and Ayurveda, one of them from Nepal, and a few guests from Europe. The discussions on the first day focused on knowledge systems, power structures, and epistemic diversity. French researcher Jacquiline Descarpentries, who represents a unique cooperative of researchers, some of whom have no formal institutional affiliation, laid the ground, addressing the audience over the Internet.

Article 21 'overturned' by new criminal laws: Lawyers, activists remember Stan Swamy

By Gova Rathod* The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat, organised an event in Ahmedabad entitled “Remembering Fr. Stan Swamy in Today’s Challenging Reality” in the memory of Fr. Stan Swamy on his third death anniversary. The event included a discussion of the new criminal laws enforced since July 1, 2024.

Hindutva economics? 12% decline in manufacturing enterprises, 22.5% fall in employment

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The messiah of Hindutva politics, Narendra Modi, assumed office as the Prime Minister of India on May 26, 2014. He pledged to transform the Indian economy and deliver a developed nation with prosperous citizens. However, despite Modi's continued tenure as the Prime Minister, his ambitious electoral promises seem increasingly elusive.

Union budget 'outrageously scraps' scheme meant for rehabilitating manual scavengers

By Bezwada Wilson* The Union Budget for the year 2024-2025, placed by the Finance Minister in Parliament has completely deceived the Safai Karmachari community. There is no mention of persons engaged in manual scavenging in the entire Budget. Even the scheme meant for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers (SRMS) has been outrageously scrapped.

Search This Blog