Meira writes to Lalu to allot Rly stalls to scavengers

New Delhi, Aug 4 (UNI) Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar has urged Railway Minister Lalu Prasad to allot stalls to scavengers at Railway Stations as part of efforts to rehabilitate them in alternative occupations.

In a letter to Mr Prasad, Ms Kumar has said an average allotment of ten stalls to scavengers at each railway station would help in liberation and rehabilitation of about 35,000 scavengers.

Running of such stalls selling eatables, fruits, toys, tea etc.

would entail a small investment, but provide them sufficient income to support their families, the Minister said, pointing out that there were still more than 3.42 lakh scavengers to be liberated and rehabilitated.

Under the National Scheme of Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers and their dependents, her Ministry had been engaged in pulling them out of the traditional vocation of manual scavenging and settling them in alternate vocations which is now being done by the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, She said.

The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation under her Ministry provides the scavengers financial assistance at easy terms to start new trades etc. for income generation.

Ms Kumar said in addition to these, there was a need to look for additional measures and the allotment of stalls at railway stations would be one of them.

The Government has given top priority to the eradication of manual scavenging and has set the target for its total eradication by the year 2007. The Prime Minister is personally reviewing the progress of liberation and rehabilitation of scavengers. Various surveys conducted so far have identified over 7.70 lakh scavengers engaged in manual scavenging. Out of them more than 4.27 lakh scavengers have been rehabilitated so far.

The practice of scavenging continues despite the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrine (Prohibition) Act, 1993 which makes conversion of dry latrines into water-seal latrines obligatory.

The practice exists out of economic necessity and secondly, that dry latrine still exists. As per 2001 census, only 75 per cent of the households have access to sanitation in urban areas.

So far 17 states and seven union territories have adopted the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrine (Prohibition) Act, 1993. Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have their own Acts on similar lines. Four states have declared themselves scavenger free.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has decided to assess the position of rehabilitation of scavengers in various states. For this purpose, Ms Kumar, Minister of State Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan as well as senior officials of the Ministry would be visiting various states soon.

UNI NAZ MSJ PC1925