Last month, the supreme court had pulled up the centre for failing to enact a law banning manual scavenging. Ias aspirants the prohibition of employment as manual. Prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 vii is under. Moving the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 20 in the rajya sabha, minister for social justice and. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 20 received assent of the president of india, pranab mukherjee.
Rajya sabha followed suit by passing it the next day, on the concluding day of parliaments monsoon session. Pdf manual scavenging is a castebased and hereditary occupation for dalits untouchables, which. This 2012 bill allows the indian railways if they use safety gear and maintain toilets well to decide when they want to issue the notification on implementing the act in the indian railways. These evils are inconsistent with the right to live with dignity, she said. The safe and controlled emptying of pit latrines, on the other hand, is one component of fecal sludge management. The 2012 prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill passed indias. Prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012. The manual scavenging bill 2012 a critical analysis the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill2012 was introduced in the lok sabha in september 2012 with a commitment of removing the historically iniquitous, casteordained practice of manually handing human waste.
Decoding the act against manual scavenging the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act, 20 easily explained. Prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their. Government plans new bill to ban manual scavenging delhi. Bill prohibiting manual scavenging passed in lok sabha. The bill prohibits employment of manual scavengers, manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment and construction of insanitary latrines. Prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012vii is under consideration. The official definition of a manual scavenger in indian law from 1993 is as follows. It involves moving the excreta, using brooms and tin plates, into baskets, which. The inhumane practice of manual scavenging enslaves estimated 12,00,000 people in india. There could be an argument for parliaments jurisdiction to enact this bill as this regulates conditions of work, and is thus a concurrent list item. The amendments include provisions like mandatory inclusion of women in vigilance committees at district, state and national level and a survey to identify manual scavengers. With the passing of the bill on prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their. Raja, member of parliament communist party of india, while addressing the gathering, reiterated that manual scavenging is a national shame. Activists say the new billthe prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 lacks teeth and clarity, and, therefore, it is unlikely to secure a living for manual scavengers.
Manual scavenging refers to the unsafe and manual removal of raw fresh and untreated human excreta from buckets or other containers that are used as toilets or from the pits of simple pit latrines. The employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993. Review open access the prohibition of employment as. Manual scavenging new act on anvil posted on february 18, 20 by srrf govt. But the manner in which the functioning the parliament is being disrupted repeatedly, it is feared that not only this bill but other equally important bills may not get debated and passed at all. The conspicuous failure of the employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act 1993 and the constant criticism from the supreme court, led to the introduction of the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012, in the lok sabha. Jairam ramesh pushes for passing bill banning manual scavenging. India and its unwashed reality, manual scavenging by saine. Manual scavenging act and municipal waste water workers in india policy and practice. Manual scavenging is a castebased and hereditary occupation for dalits untouchables, which is. It has been officially prohibited by law in 1993 due to it being regarded as a castebased, dehumanizing practice if not done in a safe manner.
The bill seeks to introduce significant changes such as the expansion of the scope of the law to cover the issue of rights of sanitation workers and more stringent penal provisions for contravention of the act. It seeks to rehabilitate manual scavengers and provide for their alternative employment. In 20, prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, to ban manual scavenging and rehabilitate those who were forced to do it, was introduced. Lok sabha passes bill to prohibit manual scavenging. The existing law, employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry. The manual scavenging bill2012 a critical analysis.
Manual scavenging has always been linked to the practice of untouchability, but article 17 of the constitution of india abolishes the continuation of such practices. Rehabilitating manual scavengers english, hindi manual scavenging refers to the practice of manually cleaning, carrying, disposing or handling in any manner, human excreta from dry latrines and sewers. It often involves using the most basic of tools such as buckets, brooms and baskets. The union cabinet, at a meeting chaired by prime minister manmohan singh, approved official amendments to the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 end to manual scavenging. Meera mathew, a senior advocate at the supreme court of india, has said that the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012, pssed in parliament, has several major flaws.
Minister for social justice and empowerment kumari selja moved the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 in the lok sabha. The bill titled prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation is pending in parliament, he said. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012. Rural development minister jairam ramesh put his weight behind the bill prohibiting manual scavenging on monday and said it can be passed during the budget session, if the parliamentarians.
The bill prohibits the employment of manual scavengers, the manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment, and the construction of insanitary latrines. Manual scavenging was banned 25 years ago with the passing of the employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993, but it continues to find practitioners. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and. Manual scavenging bill, passed in parliament, has several. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 highlights of the bill the bill was introduced in the lok sabha on september 3, 2012 by the minister of social justice and empowerment, mukul wasnik. Parliament passes bill banning manual scavenging livemint. Bill prohibiting manual scavenging in monsoon session. Parliamentary panel applauds new bill to eliminate manual. Ramesh further said that as per the census 2011, there are about 26 lakh dry latrines exist in india and after the passage of the bill, all such toilets will be closed. The bill prohibits the employment of manual scavengers, the manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective. Violations of the right to water and sanitation ohchr.
Manual scavenging is a term used mainly in india for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 was introduced in the lok sabha on september 3, 2012 by the hon. Bill prohibiting manual scavenging likely to be passed in. The manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act enacted in 1993 by the government of india prohibits manual scavenging in the country. Despite progress, manual scavenging persists in india. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 1. The bill would be taken up in the continue reading. Introduction of the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012in parliament. Bill to ban manual scavenging received assent of the. The death of five manual scavengers in delhi on sunday september 10 testifies to the fact. Background note on prohibition of manual scavenging and. Prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012, is the new bill that is to be passed by the parliament.
Envisages a hefty penalty for employing people for this inhuman practice and in the hazardous job of cleaning septic tanks and sewers. On june 17, 2011, prime minister manmohan singh of india, in a moment of historical precedent, called manual scavenging one of the darkest blots on indias development process. The bill seeking prohibition of manual scavenging was passed by lok sabha on september 6. The union cabinet is likely to consider on wednesday certain amendments to the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012, which seeks to abolish manual scavenging. Moving the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 20, in the rajya sabha, minister for social justice and.
In 1970s the state of karnataka passed a law to ban manual scavenging. Employing people for manual scavenging and cleaning of septic tanks and sewers will attract a hefty penalty once the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and. This constitutional aspiration has been given effect through the employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993ii. Manual scavenging manual scavenging is historically linked to the practice of untouchability and the continuation such practices is forbidden under the constitution of india article 17. Despite prohibition of manual scavenging, the practice is still prevalent. The union government on monday told the supreme court that the cabinet had cleared the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 was introduced in the lok sabha on september 3, 2012 by the minister of social justice and empowerment, mukul wasnik. What are some of your observations about the new bill the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 a bill to provide for the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers, rehabilitation of manual scavengers and their families, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. This new bill has been the centre of much debate regarding its provisions and whether these will be. Even as actoractivist aamir khan on monday met prime minister manmohan singh to raise the ageold issue of manual scavenging, the government said it is taking up the matter as top priority and a draft bill with stricter provisions on eradicating the dehumanising practise and rehabilitating the people involved is to be introduced in the monsoon session of parliament. The existing law prohibiting manual scavenging was enacted under the state list. The bill was introduced in parliament on september 3, 2012 and referred to the standing committee on social justice and empowerment. Parliamentary panel applauds new bill to eliminate manual scavenging.
The employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993 punishes the employment of scavengers or the construction of dry nonflush latrines with. A discussion about the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 passed by the parliament in august 20. They are subjected to ongoing, intergenerational torture, severe mental and physical pain rooted in caste based. Offences under the bill shall be cognizable and nonbailable, and may be tried summarily. Jairam ramesh pushes for passing bill banning manual. Pdf the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and.
The lok sabha passed the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill 2012. In 20, new legislation within the variety of manual scavengers act was passed that seeks to bolster this ban by prohibiting manual scavenging all together forms and rehabilitation of manual scavengers to be known through a compulsory survey. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their prs. Lok sabha, the lower house of the parliament, on 6 september 20, passed the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012. The bill was introduced in lok sabha in september 2012 by then minister of social justice and empowerment mukul wasnik. Manual scavenging is a castebased and hereditary occupation for dalits. Parliamentary committee has applauded a new bill that seeks to eliminate manual scavenging and insanitary latrines while providing for rehabilitation of people involved in the practice. Cabinet has cleared bill on manual scavenging, court told. Activists say the new billthe prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012lacks teeth and clarity. Introduction of the prohibition of employment as manual. Yesterday, lok sabha passed the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012, which aims to eliminate the inhuman practice of manual scavenging and rehabilitation of liberated manual scavenging. Manual scavenging bill, passed in parliament, has several lacunae, is confined to urban areas by our representative.
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