A Parliamentary committee has applauded a new bill that seeks to eliminate manual scavenging and insanitary latrines while providing for rehabilitation of people involved in the practice.
"The committee welcomes the laudable objects of the new bill. The committee is optimistic that the new act and rules to be framed thereunder would be implemented with utmost sincerity and with a sense of purpose so that the new legislation attains its intended objectives within the given time frame," the Parliamentary Standing on Social Justice and Empowerment said in its report.
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill 2012 was introduced in Lok Sabha on September 9, 2012.
The committee also noted that while some state governments have reportedly filed affidavits in the Supreme Court claiming that there were no insanitary latrines or manual scavengers in their state, the 2011 Census has reported 26 lakh such toilets in the country.
It also noted that under the new legislation, a "great responsibility" devolves on the Ministry of Railways so far as manual scavenging is concerned.
"There are reportedly about 7114 mail/express/ordinary trains which have direct discharge or controlled discharge system type of toilets," the report said.
The Committee has been informed that the Railways have started constructing concrete washable aprons under the railway tracks at important stations so that the safai karamcharis can clean the track with high pressure water jet cleaning system, instead of doing manually, it added.
On allocation of money, the committee noted that funds for environment friendly toilets during the last five years was "either nil of very low" with an allocation of only Rs 2,53,13,480 in 2011-12.
