Manual Scavenging Is Disgrace For World’s 3rd Largest Economy: Ajit Pawar
The government will also take care of the people involved in manual scavenging. As the finance minister of the state, I assure that funds will not be a problem for implementing welfare schemes for them: Ajit Pawar
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Friday admitted that manual scavenging still exists in the state. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said it is a disgrace for the country which will soon become the third largest economy in the world. He assured the legislative assembly that the government will work towards complete eradication of manual scavenging.
Replying to a question in the legislative assembly, Mr. Pawar announced that the state government will implement a time bound programme to completely stop manual scavenging by providing machines and robots. “The government will also take care of the people involved in manual scavenging. As the finance minister of the state, I assure that funds will not be a problem for implementing welfare schemes for them,” he said.
Raising the issue in the House during the question hour, BJP legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar said manual scavenging continues in the state despite the Supreme Court’s ban on it. Legislators from across the parties, including senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar cornered the government and demanded specific assurances from it.
Maharashtra social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat said that as per the survey conducted by the The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) in 2018, a total of 6,378 people through applications declared that they were engaged in manual scavenging in Maharashtra. NCSK has deposited Rs 40,000 each to the bank accounts of 6,324 people after verification.
The minister informed that between 2021 and 2024, 18 people died while clearing manholes and pipelines across the state. He said that the Urban Development Department through government decisions dated March 5, 2018 and May 3, 2024 has issued instructions to all civic bodies to use only machines and robots to clean safety tanks and underground sewers. Accordingly, the Social Justice Department has so far made available Rs 100 crore to the Urban Development Department, which is in the process of purchasing 414 suction cum jetting vehicles. He added that a total of Rs 500 crore would be spent for this purpose.
In a survey conducted in 2018, the NCSK found 6,378 manual scavengers in Maharashtra, the second highest in the country after Uttar Pradesh’s 19,712 manual scavengers. Between 1993 and 2023, 1,064 sanitation workers had died across the country, with Maharashtra accounting for 56 deaths, said the NCSK 2021-22 report.
Mr. Shirsat further said in April this year, the government has increased the compensation to the kin of deceased scavengers to Rs 30 lakh from Rs 10 lakh.