Lok Sabha Question No. 594 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-19
Subject: Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: PRATHAP SIMHA, PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL, MEENAKASHI LEKHI, SHOBHA KARANDLAJE, SAKSHI SWAMI MAHARAJ, KIRRON KHER, FEROZE VARUN GANDHI, VINOD KUMAR BOIANAPALLI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 594 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2017

## REHABILITATION OF MANUAL SCAVENGERS

## 594. SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL:

SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI LEKHI:

KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE:

DR. SWAMI SAKSHIJI MAHARAJ:

SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER:

SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

SHRI B. VINOD KUMAR:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether despite the most stringent penal provisions in the law against manual scavenging, it continues  to  be  practised  in  various  parts  of  the  country  and  if  so,  the  reaction  of  the Government thereto;
- (b) whether the Government  has  reduced funds under 'Self  Employment  Scheme  for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers' due to under utilisation, if so, the funds allocated during the last three years and the current year;
- (c)  the  number  of  cases  of  death  of  manual  scavengers  reported  during  the  said  period  while cleaning septic tanks and sewers, State-wise;
- (d) the details of cases filed in this regard, conviction achieved, action taken against the guilty persons and compensation paid to the families of the victims during the said period, State-wise;
- (e) the details of manual scavengers identified and rehabilitation benefits provided to them and their dependents during the above period, State-wise;
- (f)  the  steps taken/being taken  by the Government to complete the process of identification of manual  scavengers  who  are  still  engaged  in  manual  scavenging  and  for  total  eradication  of manual scavenging in the country including awareness in this regard; and
- (g) whether the Indian Railways continues to be the largest employer of manual scavengers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE)

- (a) and (f): Yes Madam, manual scavenging is still reported from some parts of the country. Government reviews the implementation of various provisions of 'Prohibition of Employment  as  Manual  Scavengers  and  their  Rehabilitation  Act  2013'  (MS  Act,  2013)

including  identification of  manual  scavengers  and their  rehabilitation  from  time  to time.  In order  to  eliminate  the  need  for  manual  scavenging,  insanitary  latrines  are  identified  and converted into sanitary latrines under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

- (b) The budget allocation under 'Self Employment Scheme for the Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers' (SRMS) during 2014-15 to 2016-17 is as under:

|   Sl. No. | Financial Year   |   Budget Allocation (Rs. in Crore) |
|-----------|------------------|------------------------------------|
|         1 | 2014-15          |                             448    |
|         2 | 2015-16          |                             470.19 |
|         3 | 2016-17          |                              10    |
|         4 | 2017-18          |                               5    |

Keeping in view the corpus of funds available with the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and  Development  Corporation,  the  implementing  agency  of  Self  Employment  Scheme  for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) the budget allocation for  2016-17 and 2017-18 was  reduced.  Details  of  the  rehabilitation benefits  provided  to  the identified  manual scavengers till date are given in Annexure-I .

- (c)  and  (d)  Details  of  deaths  in  sewers  and  septic  tanks  reported  by  the  States  and compensation paid are given in Annexure-II. In addition, the State Government of Karnataka has  reported  filing  of  First  Information  Reports (FIRs)  in  55  cases  and  the  Government  of NCT  Delhi  has  reported  that  concerned  officers  of  Delhi  Jal  Board  and  Public  Works Department have been placed under suspension and Delhi Police has initiated investigation into the death of persons in sewers/septic tanks that had occurred in NCT Delhi during July, 2017.
- (e) Details are given in Annexure-I
- (f) : Reply given against part (a)
- (g) :Ministry of Railways have denied engagement of manual scavengers.

*****

## Annexure-I

## Annexure-I referred in reply to Part (e)  of  Lok Sabha unstarred Question No. 594 for answer on 19.12.2017 regarding  Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers

## Number of manual scavengers provided rehabilitation benefits under Self Employment Scheme for the Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers from 2013-14 to 2017-18 (Upto November, 2017)

|       |                | No. Of Manaul Scavenger s reported on MS Website*   | Onetime cash assistance provided @Rs. 40,000/- per beneficiary (Number of   | Onetime cash assistance provided @Rs. 40,000/- per beneficiary (Number of   | Onetime cash assistance provided @Rs. 40,000/- per beneficiary (Number of   | Onetime cash assistance provided @Rs. 40,000/- per beneficiary (Number of   | Onetime cash assistance provided @Rs. 40,000/- per beneficiary (Number of   | Onetime cash assistance provided @Rs. 40,000/- per beneficiary (Number of   | Training Sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   | Training Sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   | Training Sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   | Training Sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   | Training Sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   | Capital Subsidy sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   | Capital Subsidy sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   | Capital Subsidy sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   | Capital Subsidy sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   | Capital Subsidy sanctioned (Number of beneficiaries)   |
|-------|----------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| S.no. | State          | No. Of Manaul Scavenger s reported on MS Website*   | 2013- 14                                                                    | 2014 -15                                                                    | 2015 - 2016                                                                 | 2016 - 2017                                                                 | 2017 - 2018                                                                 | Total                                                                       | upto 2014 - 2015                                | 2015 - 2016                                     | 2016- 2017                                      | 2017- 2018                                      | Total                                           | upto 2014- 2015                                        | 2015- 2016                                             | 2016- 2017                                             | 2017- 2018                                             | Total                                                  |
| 1     | Andhra Pradesh | 78                                                  | 0                                                                           | 45                                                                          | 0                                                                           | 8                                                                           | 3                                                                           | 56                                                                          | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      |
| 2     | Assam          | 154                                                 | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 147                                                                         | 147                                                                         | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                               | 10                                              | 10                                              | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      |
| 3     | Bihar          | 137                                                 | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 131                                                                         | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 131                                                                         | 0                                               | 91                                              | 0                                               | 0                                               | 91                                              | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      |
| 4     | Chhattisgarh   | 3                                                   | 3                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 3                                                                           | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      |
| 5     | Karnataka      | 726                                                 | 125                                                                         | 18                                                                          | 79                                                                          | 17                                                                          | 211                                                                         | 450                                                                         | 0                                               | 0                                               | 223                                             | 0                                               | 223                                             | 0                                                      | 190                                                    | 0                                                      |                                                        | 190                                                    |
| 6     | Madhya Pradesh | 36                                                  | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 36                                                                          | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 36                                                                          | 0                                               | 100                                             | 0                                               |                                                 | 100                                             | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      |
| 7     | Odisha         | 237                                                 | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 174                                                                         | 47                                                                          | 1                                                                           | 222                                                                         | 0                                               | 56                                              | 12                                              | 0                                               | 68                                              | 0                                                      | 83                                                     | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 83                                                     |
| 8     | Punjab         | 91                                                  | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 87                                                                          | 0                                                                           | 2                                                                           | 89                                                                          | 0                                               | 100                                             | 246                                             | 0                                               | 346                                             | 0                                                      | 21                                                     | 14                                                     |                                                        | 35                                                     |
| 9     | Rajasthan      | 338                                                 | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 194                                                                         | 113                                                                         | 26                                                                          | 333                                                                         | 0                                               | 98                                              | 0                                               | 10                                              | 108                                             | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      |
|       | Tamilnadu      | 363                                                 | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 170                                                                         | 120                                                                         | 46                                                                          | 336                                                                         | 0                                               | 250                                             | 0                                               | 0                                               | 250                                             | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      |
| 11    | Uttar Pradesh  | 11007                                               | 35                                                                          | 1083                                                                        | 7622                                                                        | 1261                                                                        | 623                                                                         | 10624                                                                       | 0                                               | 1480                                            | 10348                                           | 350                                             | 12178                                           | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 182                                                    | 151                                                    | 333                                                    |
| 12    | Uttarakhand    | 137                                                 | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 134                                                                         | 1                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 135                                                                         | 0                                               | 116                                             | 0                                               | 0                                               | 116                                             | 0                                                      | 71                                                     | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 71                                                     |
| 13    | West Bengal    | 104                                                 | 0                                                                           | 95                                                                          | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 0                                                                           | 95                                                                          | 97                                              | 0                                               | 0                                               | 0                                               | 97                                              | 97                                                     | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 97                                                     |
| Total | Total          | 13411                                               | 163                                                                         | 1241                                                                        | 8627                                                                        | 1567                                                                        | 1059                                                                        | 12657                                                                       | 97                                              | 2291                                            | 10829                                           | 370                                             | 13587                                           | 97                                                     | 365                                                    | 196                                                    | 151                                                    | 809                                                    |

Annexure-II

Annexure-II referred in reply to Parts (c) and (d) of  Lok Sabha unstarred Question No. 594 for answer on 19.12.2017 regarding  Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers.

| Sl. No.   | State         | Number of cases identified/   | Compensation paid                    | Compensation paid    |
|-----------|---------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------|----------------------|
|           |               | reported                      | Full Compensation of Rs.10 lakh each | Partial compensation |
| 1         | Tamil Nadu    | 144                           | 141                                  | 0                    |
| 2         | Punjab        | 32                            | 32                                   | 0                    |
| 3         | Karnataka     | 59                            | 14                                   | 8                    |
| 4         | Haryana       | 5                             | 3                                    | 0                    |
| 5         | Kerala        | 12                            | 0                                    | 2                    |
| 6         | Rajasthan     | 7                             | 3                                    | 2                    |
| 7         | Uttar Pradesh | 52                            | 1                                    | 35                   |
| 8         | Delhi         | 12                            | 10                                   | 0                    |
|           | Total         | 323                           | 204                                  | 47                   |