Supreme court: Asked centre to inform steps taken to stop manual scavenging, abolishing dry latrines

The Supreme Court in the case Dr.Balram Singh vs Union of India observed and has stated that the Union of India to place on record the steps which are been taken by it so as to prevent the employment for the manual scavengers as per the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act 2013.
In the said case the court also asked the Centre to inform the steps taken in pursuance of the guidelines issued in the 2014 judgment in the case Safai Karamchari Andolan And Others vs. Union of India And Others.
It has also been directed by the court that the Centre is to place record:
(I) Steps taken towards the abolition or the demolition of Dry Latrines, statewise.
(II) the Status of Dry Latrines and the Safai Karamcharies in the Cantonment Boards and Railways.
(III) the Employment of Safai Karamcharies in Railways and Cantonments Boards whether they being directly or indirectly, which being through the Contractors or otherwise
(IV) The Statewise set up of the Municipal Corporation and for that of the equipment of nature (as well as the description of technical equipment), the same being deployed by such bodies to mechanize sewage cleaning.
(V) The feasibility of developing which being the internet based solutions for real time tracking of sewage deaths and for the action which is taken by their concerned authorities which includes the appropriate Government towards payment of compensation and rehabilitation of families.
The bench comprising of Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice Dipankar Datta in the case observed and has issued these directions while hearing a PIL filed by Dr.Balram Singh.
The court in the case Safai Karamchari Andolan judgment observed and has issued a slew of guidelines for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers, including casha assistance, scholarship for their children and for the allotment of residential plots, training in livelihood skill and monthly stipends, the concessional loans etc. It has also been issued in the judgement the minimum compensation in cases of sewer deaths and directed the Railways to end manual scavenging on tracks.
An affidavit has to be filed by Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for containing information on these issues within six weeks.
Accordingly, the court listed the matter to be next heard on 12.04.2023.

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