Ensure Rehabilitation and Welfare for Former Manual Scavengers: Udupi DC
Udupi, July 10, 2025: Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa T.K. has directed officials to ensure that individuals who previously worked as manual scavengers are provided with government rehabilitation schemes and other welfare facilities without delay. He was speaking at the second quarterly meeting of the District Safai Karmachari Awareness Committee, held at the Rajathadri DC Office in Manipal on Wednesday.
Highlighting that manual scavenging is banned across the country, the DC warned that any continued use of manual scavengers by municipal or local bodies would invite strict legal action. He stressed that all sanitation work in both urban and rural areas must be mandatorily carried out using mechanical equipment like sucking and jetting machines.
The Deputy Commissioner also emphasized scientific waste disposal through Faecal Sludge Management Systems (FSMS) and directed local bodies to prioritize completion and operationalization of these units in the district.
DC Swaroopa further instructed officials to ensure timely disbursal of monthly wages to civic workers employed under municipal bodies. For contract workers, the payment of wages, as well as contributions to ESI and PF, should be closely monitored, he said.
Under the government’s Gruhabhagya housing scheme, eligible pourakarmikas must be prioritized. Noting that some civic workers have plots outside city limits, the DC said changes in housing scheme regulations may be needed to accommodate them and suggested submitting a proposal to the state government for approval.
He also urged civic workers to use protective gear during daily sanitation duties, warning that failure to do so could affect their health. Supervising officers must ensure compliance, he added.
The DC called for building rest houses for sanitation workers and ensuring regular health checkups, including master health tests every three months. He also emphasized providing nutritious meals and raising awareness about direct admission facilities for their children in residential schools.
Finally, the DC urged every pourakarmika to enroll in central insurance schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, calling them essential for future financial security.
Officials from the Social Welfare Department, committee members, and other implementing officers were present at the meeting.
