Govt approves rehab project for manual scavengers in city

About 45 manual scavengers were identified in the three districts of Shahdra, North East Delhi and East Delhi during the state monitoring committee meeting on September 24 last year, a government spokesperson said.

The Delhi cabinet on Thursday approved a rehabilitation programme for those identified as manual scavengers. Under the programme, those identified will be provided with a one-time cash assistance of ₹40,000, loans of ₹15 lakh at concessional interest rates and credit linked back-end capital subsidy up to ₹3. 25 lakh.

On Thursday, the rehabilitation programme for manual scavengers, proposed by the social welfare department, was approved in the cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (HTfile)

The manual scavengers will also be provided skill development training for up to two years with stipend of ₹3,000 per month. On Thursday, the rehabilitation programme for manual scavengers, proposed by the social welfare department, was approved in the cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

About 45 manual scavengers were identified in the three districts of Shahdra, North East Delhi and East Delhi during the state monitoring committee meeting on September 24 last year, a government spokesperson said.

The official also said that during this meeting, directions were also issued to district magistrates to frame proposal for their rehabilitation under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013.

The rehabilitation programme comes in the backdrop of a number of deaths of manual scavengers. In May this year, two men were killed and three hospitalised after they were exposed to poisonous fumes while cleaning a septic tank at an under-construction building in Prem Nagar in North West Delhi’s Rohini. Last year, at least 10 workers were killed in Delhi in such incidents.