National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Chairman M Shivanna today expressed concern over the "tardy" progress in implementing the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
Chairing a meeting here today to review and monitor the implementation of the act in various states and Union Territories, he said the surveys reportedly conducted by the states to identify manual scavengers and the insanitary latrines are not done in a proper manner and questions are being raised about their credibility and accuracy of the figures, a statement released here said.
Citing his visits to various states, he said the progress of the implementation of the Act is "extremely poor".
He reiterated that the time-bound action prescribed in the Act needs to be completed in letter and spirit.
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 which came into force in December, 2013, addresses the twin problems of insanitary latrines and manual scavengers in a very comprehensive manner.
It provides for elaborate mechanisms at the local, state and central level to ensure that the insanitary latrines, which are the root cause of manual scavenging, are eliminated and the manual scavengers are rehabilitated in alternative occupations on a sustainable basis, it said.
