Shahdara district administration launches skill training programme for manual scavengers

The Shahdara district administration today launched a first-of-its-kind three-month skill training programme for 28 manual scavengers identified through a survey conducted in the area.

They will undergo a four-hour skill development class Monday to Friday and will be paid a stipend of Rs 1,000 per month.

The participants will be required to take an exam, conducted by the Domestic Worker Sector Skill Council, after the completion of the programme, Vinay Stephen of the Sadik Masih Medical Social Servant Society (SMMSSS) said.

Thereafter, they will be placed in hotels, hospitals, and restaurants, he said.

"You will be working in hospitals, hotels, and restaurants. You can also choose to render services as caretakers of patients at homes. Some of you who have BCom degrees can also be given an accounting job," Stephen told the inaugural class.

It is a joint effort of the government and civil society to ensure that these people get employment and respect, District Magistrate (East Delhi) K Mahesh said.

He said there have been 77 deaths in Delhi since 1993 due to the hazardous work.

"The AAP government took it seriously and asked us to identify manual scavengers and find ways to uplift them.

"With the help of Mahila Pragati Manch, Centre for Advocacy and Research, and Sadik Masih Medical Social Servant Society, we conducted a survey in northeast and Shahdara districts and identified 28 manual scavengers," he said.

These people have been working for 5 to 15 years and some of them are illiterate, while some have BCom degrees, he said.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "While we are talking about cutting-edge technologies sitting in the national capital, there are manual scavengers cleaning gutters in the city."