Thursday, November 19, 2009

[ZESTCaste] Fwd: Safai karamcharis in Karnataka

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shiva Shankar <sshankar@cmi.ac.in>
Date: Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Subject: Safai karamcharis in Karnataka
To:

'... Thousands of safai karamcharis, who were engaged in handling the
night soil manually, clearing chocked drain with minimum equipment,
and gathering night soil collected on railway platforms were
succumbing to diseases such as tuberculosis and cancer. The
Chairperson of the National Safai Karamchari Commission, Santhosh
Choudhry, rightly pointed out that life expectancy of a safai
karamchari was only 45 years. ...'


Safai karamcharis seek alternative jobs

http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/06/stories/2009110656800300.htm

Staff Correspondent

State Government is not using the funds released for rehabilitation of
safai karamcharis

Mysore: The Karnataka State Safai Karamchari Nirmoolana Mahasamsthe
here on Thursday has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to direct the
State Government to create alternative jobs for safai karamcharis and
their dependents as assured by him in the 11th Plan.

Addressing presspersons, Peddanna, State president of the mahasamsthe,
said a memorandum detailing the plight of the safai karamcharis, who
are engaged in manual collection of night soil, would be submitted
shortly to the Prime Minister in New Delhi. Mr. Manmohan Singh
declared that the Government was committed to eradicate the obnoxious
and inhuman practice of manual collection of night soil. Mr. Manmohan
Singh said that safai karamcharis engaged in such work would be
provided with alternative employment by 2012. However, the Karnataka
State Government was doing nothing to eradicate the practice. Instead
the safai karamcharis were continued to be engaged by the State
Government in manual collection of night soil.

The number of safai karamcharis who were engaged in collection of
night soil was estimated at 6.76 lakh* in the country while 2.8 lakh
of the karamcharis were in Karnataka. Even after over 60 years after
the country became independent, the socio-economic conditions of the
safai karamcharis had not improved. This was undoubtedly a blot on the
country which was emerging as an important economic power, he added.

Despite passing the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction
of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act - 1993 to liberate the safai
karamcharis from the obnoxious practice of carrying night soil
manually, the State Government had done nothing to liberate them.

Instead the State Government was filing "false" affidavits to the
Union Government, Supreme Court and the National Human Rights
Commission on eradication of the practice, he alleged.

Thousands of safai karamcharis, who were engaged in handling the night
soil manually, clearing chocked drain with minimum equipment, and
gathering night soil collected on railway platforms were succumbing to
diseases such as tuberculosis and cancer. "The Chairperson of the
National Safai Karamchari Commission, Santhosh Choudhry, rightly
pointed out that life expectancy of a safai karamchari was only 45
years.

Funds

Although the Centre released Rs. 400 crore in the 10th Plan for the
rehabilitation of safai karamcharis, the State Government spent only
Rs. 146 crore. The State Government exhibited similar apathy while
spending Rs. 500 crore released in 2007 for the purpose. Same was the
case with the 18 per cent funds earmarked in the civic bodies for the
purpose, he regretted.

Mr. Peddanna suggested that members of the Karnataka State Safai
Karamchari Nirmoolana Mahasamsthe should be included in the
Rehabilitation Committee. He said the funds released for the
rehabilitation of the safai karamcharis should be utilised fully.

------------

* These are government estimates. Safai Karamcahri Andolan estimates
that over 12 lakh people work as 'scavengers'.


------------------------------------

----
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/

PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com

TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/

Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
ZESTCaste-digest@yahoogroups.com
ZESTCaste-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ZESTCaste-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive