The Centre is in the process of formulating a new law for ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation’, revising the existing Schemes for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers and Total Sanitation Campaign. It is also formulating a new scheme for conversion of insanitary latrines in urban areas.

An official release says, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik announced this while addressing a recently held meetings on rehabilitation of manual scavengers in New Delhi. Mr Wasnik called upon the states to ensure that the twin evils of insanitary latrines and manual scavenging are completely eliminated at the earliest. He emphasized on the rehabilitation of all manual scavengers and their dependents in alternative occupations.

The Minister urged the states to prepare a time-bound action plan to ensure elimination of insanitary latrines and rehabilitation of remaining manual scavengers on priority basis.

Mr Wasnik impressed upon them to start taking action on elimination of insanitary latrines and rehabilitating manual scavengers after identifying them, under the available programmatic interventions.