'Rs 10 lakh each paid to 141 families of manual scavengers'

The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras High Court that it has paid a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to 141 families of deceased manual scavengers in the state.
The government also stated that it was committed towards expeditious payment of compensation to dependentsof sewer/septic tank death victims in all eligible cases.
The government's position was submitted in court yesterday by Joint Secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department before the bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice R Mahadevan.
The Joint Secretary also submitted that the department had identified families of 13 more victims and the formalities for paying compensation to them was under process.

The court had in October last year directed the government to file a report regarding disbursement of compensation to families of manual scavengers who had died since 1993 while cleaning sewers in public places in the state, while hearing a PIL by Change India, an NGO, seeking an order to prevent manual scavenging and awarding compensation to families of the deceased involved in manual scavenging.
The Joint Secretary also submitted that all district collectors were requested to take action regarding allotment of residential plot and financial assistance for building houses to manual scavengers of their districts, subject to their eligibility and willingness.

Recording the submissions, the bench posted further hearing in the case to March 28.