Lok Sabha Question No. 2861 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-13
Subject: Rehabilitation of Safai Karamcharis
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: POONAM  MAHAJAN

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2861 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2018

## REHABILITATION OF SAFAI KARAMCHARIS

## 2861. SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

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

- (a)  whether  there  has  been  a  decrease  in  the  number  of  insanitary  latrines  cleaned  by  safai karamcharis  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  indicating  the  numbers  of  insanitary latrines during each of the last five years, State/UT-wise;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  dislodge  dry  latrines,  and  undertaken  efforts  to  provide safai karamcharis with sufficient training for alternate sources of employment;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  under the aegis of National Safai Karamcharis Finance  and  Development Corporation, safai karamcharis are given sufficient financial assistance in order to rise above the poverty line, and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether despite financial rehabilitation, the safai karamcharis still face discrimination and if so, the steps taken to deal with this issue?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have been implementing schemes from time to time including Swachh Bharat Mission for conversion of insanitary latrines into sanitary latrines and construction of new sanitary latrines in rural and urban areas respectively. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation have informed that 2,76,920 insanitary  latrines  were  found  during  the  survey  of  which  2,67,914  have  been  converted  into sanitary toilets upto 08.03.2018,  state-wise details of the same are given in Annexure . Ministry of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs  which  implements  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  (SBM)  urban  have informed  that  the  guidelines  of  the  mission  provide  for  construction  of  sanitary  toilets  and upgradation  of  existing  insanitary  latrine  to  sanitary  toilets.  A  total  44.54  lakh  individuals household latrines and 2.92 lakh community/public toilets  have been constructed in urban areas upto 31.01.2018. However, the data of conversion of  insanitary latrines into sanitary latrine is not maintained by that Ministry.
- (b) and (c): Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013) mandates every local authority to carry out survey of insanitary latrines existing within its jurisdiction and give a notice to the occupier to either demolish convert it into sanitary latrines within  the time schedule prescribed under the Act. Under Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) willing and eligible identified manual scavengers
- and their dependents are provided skill development training with monthly stipend of Rs.3,000/each for undertaking alternative employment. Proposals to provide skill development training to 13,587  manual  scavengers/  safai  karamcharis  and  their  dependents  have  been  sanctioned  upto 28.02.2018
- (d):  Safai  karamcharis  and  their  dependents  are  provided  bank  loans  upto  Rs.  25  lakh  at concessional rate of interest ranging from 4% to  6% per annum for undertaking self employment projects.
- (e):  Traditionally a  majority of  safai karamcharis belong to scheduled castes and are protected from discrimination and exploitation under various provisions of 'The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955' and 'The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989'.

*****

Annexure referred in reply to Part (a)  of  Lok Sabha unstarred Question No. 2861 for answer on 13.03.2018 regarding  Rehabilitation of Safai Karamcharis.

## State/UT-wise Number of Insanitary Latrines found and converted

|   S.N. | State/UT Name     |   No. of Insanitary latrines found |   No. of Insanitary latrines converted into sanitary latrines |      % |
|--------|-------------------|------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
|      1 | A &NISLANDS       |                                  0 |                                                             0 |   0    |
|      2 | ANDHRA PRADESH    |                               2002 |                                                          2002 | 100    |
|      3 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH |                              16638 |                                                          7746 |  46.56 |
|      4 | ASSAM             |                               9527 |                                                          9519 |  99.92 |
|      5 | BIHAR             |                                128 |                                                           128 | 100    |
|      6 | CHANDIGARH        |                                  0 |                                                             0 |   0    |
|      7 | CHHATTISGARH      |                                  0 |                                                             0 |   0    |
|      8 | D &NHAVELI        |                                  0 |                                                             0 |   0    |
|      9 | DAMAN &DIU        |                                  0 |                                                             0 |   0    |
|     10 | GOA               |                                  0 |                                                             0 |   0    |
|     11 | GUJARAT           |                                 36 |                                                            36 | 100    |
|     12 | HARYANA           |                                281 |                                                           281 | 100    |
|     13 | HIMACHAL PRADESH  |                                210 |                                                           210 | 100    |
|     14 | JAMMU & KASHMIR   |                              10304 |                                                         10304 | 100    |
|     15 | JHARKHAND         |                                 82 |                                                            82 | 100    |
|     16 | KARNATAKA         |                               5576 |                                                          5571 |  99.91 |
|     17 | KERALA            |                               2686 |                                                          2686 | 100    |
|     18 | MADHYAPRADESH     |                              51003 |                                                         51003 | 100    |
|     19 | MAHARASHTRA       |                                327 |                                                           327 | 100    |
|     20 | MANIPUR           |                              11524 |                                                         11524 | 100    |
|     21 | MEGHALAYA         |                                  0 |                                                             0 |   0    |

| 22       | MIZORAM       |      1 |      1 |   100.00 |
|----------|---------------|--------|--------|----------|
| 23       | NAGALAND      |    436 |    436 |   100    |
| 24       | ODISHA        |      4 |      4 |   100    |
| 25       | PUDUCHERRY    |      0 |      0 |     0    |
| 26       | PUNJAB        |     10 |     10 |   100    |
| 27       | RAJASTHAN     |    534 |    433 |    81.09 |
| 28       | SIKKIM        |     42 |     42 |   100    |
| 29       | TAMIL NADU    |      0 |      0 |     0    |
| 30       | TELANGANA     |      1 |      1 |   100    |
| 31       | TRIPURA       |      0 |      0 |     0    |
| 32       | UTTAR PRADESH | 164142 | 164142 |   100    |
| 33       | UTTARAKHAND   |   1317 |   1317 |   100    |
| 34       | WEST BENGAL   |    109 |    109 |   100    |
| Total :- |               | 276920 | 267914 |    96.75 |