NGO Sulabh International has appointed seven women who were earlier associated with manual scavenging as its ombudsman, two days after Parliament passed a bill banning manual cleaning of toilet waste.
They were treated untouchable and now they would discharge the responsibility of top functionary of this organisation having more than 70,000 volunteers across the country, a statement from Sulabh said.
"It was an attempt to bring them to top strata of the society from the lowest ebb they were wallowing in till some years back," Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak said while administering the oath to the women.
The decision was taken close on the heels of Parliament giving its approval to a long-standing bill to ban manual cleaning of toilet waste by workers who are seen as the "ultimate untouchables", it said.
Welcoming the ban, Pathak said,"passing of the law is a most important thing -- this is a best form of work."
He said these people needs to be given skills and respect.
