The National Commission for Safai Karmacharis (NCSK) was today given a three-year extension by the government which noted that the practice of manual scavenging was still prevalent in the country.
The Union Cabinet gave the fresh extension to the tenure of the Commission which monitors various interventions and initiatives of the government for welfare of safai karamcharis and gives its recommendations regarding specific programmes for welfare of safai karamcharis, study and evaluate the existing welfare programmes for them and investigate cases of specific grievances etc.
"Though the government has taken many steps for the uplift of the safai karamcharis, the deprivation suffered by them in socio-economic and educational terms is still far from being eliminated.
"... The practice of manual scavenging is still prevalent in the country... The government feels that there is a continued need to monitor the various interventions and initiatives... To achieve the goal of complete eradication of the practice of manual scavenging in the country," said an official statement.
As per the provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, the NCSK has been assigned the work to monitor the implementation of the Act, tender advice for its effective implementation to the Centre and state governments and enquire into complaints regarding contravention/non-implementation of the provisions of the Act.
The total expenditure for the extension of three years would be approximately Rs 13.08 crore.
The NCSK was established in 1993 as per the provisions of the NCSK Act 1993 initially for the period up to March 31, 1997. Later, the validity of the Act was extended up to March 31, 2002 and thereafter up to February 29, 2004. The NCSK Act ceased to have effect since then.
After that the tenure of the NCSK was extended as a non- statutory body from time to time. The tenure of the present Commission was till March 31.
