"The UPA government has it made these issues a priority at the national level. I urge the state governments in the north east to also take note of this and address the issue," Mukul Wasnik said in his inaugural address at the conference of state ministers for Welfare/Social Justice department of all north eastern states, including Sikkim, here.
According to the Union Minister, the 2011 Census data available with the government indicates that unsanitary latrines and manual scavenging in the north eastern states are on a "higher" side.
He said, available records of persons practicing open defacation or unhealthy latrines and manual scavenging in Assam is 1,10,000, Meghalaya 8,000, Manipur 41,000, Arunachal 13,000, Tripura 8,000, Nagaland 4,000, Mizoram 1,000 and 219 in Sikkim .
"We will have to address this issue. We are determined to provide rehabilitation to all those engaged in manual scavenging as it was made a national priority. We also have a total sanitation scheme from the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation for conversion of unsanitary latrines into water sealed toilets," Wasnik said.
"When the Census data is giving us this information, there is no point in denying their existence. You have to identify the existence of manual scavengers and try to attend to their rehabilitation," Wasnik said. MORE