Centre provides Financial Assistance for Hostels for SC Students
Centre provides Financial Assistance for Hostels for SC Students
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment provides financial assistance under the Scheme, namely, ‘Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY)’ to the eligible implementing agencies for construction of hostel buildings/expansion of the existing hostel facilities for Scheduled Caste students. In addition, one-time grant of Rs. 2500/- per student is provided for making provision of a cot, a table and a chair for each student.
At the beginning of each financial year, the State Governments/UT Administrations are intimated their Notional Allocation under the Scheme for the respective financial year with a request to send fresh proposals as per scheme guidelines. Further, the cost norms under the Scheme have been revised during 2014-15, which would be applicable for the proposals received in the Ministry on or after 01.01.2015 to provide for escalation in cost of construction.
During the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-13 to 2014-15 (upto 09.03.2015), 110 hostels under the Scheme have been sanctioned to the implementing agencies in various States.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Vijay Sampla in the Rajya Sabha today.
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Proposal for Construction of Hostel in Rajasthan
Under the Schemes, namely, ‘Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojna (BJRCY)’ and ‘Construction of Hostels for OBC boys’ and Girls’, proposals for construction of total 22 hostels, i.e. 16 hostels for Scheduled Castes and 06 hostels for Other Backward Classes students, respectively, have been received from the Government of Rajasthan.
Of these, all the complete proposals in all respects would be processed for approval within this financial year, subject to availability of funds.
No proposal has been received from the Government of Rajasthan for construction of hostels for Scheduled Tribe students.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Vijay Sampla in the Rajya Sabha today.
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Guidelines for Safety of Safai Karmacharis
Section 7 of the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013”. (MS Act, 2013) lays down that no person, local authority or any agency shall, form such date as the State Government may notify, which shall not be later than one year from the date of commencement of this Act, engage or employ, either directly or indirectly, any person for hazardous cleaning of a sewer or a septic tank.
As the MS Act, 2013 had come into force on 6.12.2013, hazardous cleaning of a sewer or septic tank is a prohibited activity with effect from 6.12.2014 in all the States and UTs except the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
“Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013”, which has come into force from 12.12.2013 stipulates the obligation of Employers towards employees who are engaged in cleaning of sewer or septic tanks to provide protective gear, safety devices and cleaning devices.
Supreme Court in its judgment dated 27.3.2014 in the Writ Petition No. 583 of 2003 directed the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations to identify all the families of all persons who have died in sewerage work (manholes, septic tanks) since 1993 and award compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs for each such death to the family members depending on them.
Under Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013. The obligations of employer towards employees engaged in the cleaning of sewer or septic tank include, inter alia, insuring that they have life insurance policy of at least 10 lakhs Rupees for which premium will be paid by the employer.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Vijay Sampla in the Rajya Sabha today.
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The Practice of Manual Scavenging is yet to be Fully Eliminated.
‘Houselisting and Housing Census, 2011’ data released by the Registrar General of India in March, 2012, has provided number of households by type of latrine facility, including latrines from which night soil is manually removed. According to this data, such latrines existed in all States/UTs except in the States of Goa, Sikkim, and the UTs of Chandigarh and Lakshadweep.
Existence of manually serviced latrines in the States/UTs points to the fact that the practice of manual scavenging is yet to be fully eliminated.
As per the latest information available on the basis of survey undertaken in the States/UTs so far 12753 manual scavengers have been identified in 13 States, State-wise details of which are given:
|
SI.No.
|
State/UT
|
No. of Manual Scavengers identified in
|
|
|
|
|
Urban Areas
|
Rural Areas
|
|
1
|
Andaman & Nicobar `Islands
|
NA
|
|
|
2
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
89
|
NA
|
|
3
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
4
|
Assam
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
5
|
Bihar
|
137
|
NA
|
|
6
|
Chandiqarh
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
|
7
|
Chhattisgarh
|
3
|
Nil
|
|
8
|
Dadara & Nagar Haveli
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
|
9
|
Daman & Diu
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
10
|
Goa
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
11
|
Gujarat
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
12
|
Haryana
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
13
|
Himanchal Pradesh
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
14
|
Jammu & Kashmir
|
119
|
NA
|
|
15
|
Jharkhand
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
16
|
Karnataka
|
302
|
Nil
|
|
17
|
Kerala
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
18
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
19
|
Maharashtra*
|
139
|
NA
|
|
20
|
Manipur
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
21
|
Meghalaya
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
22
|
Mizoram
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
23
|
Nagaland
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
24
|
NCT of Delhi
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
|
25
|
Odisha
|
386
|
Nil
|
|
26
|
Puducherry
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
27
|
Punjab
|
64
|
NA
|
|
28
|
Rajasthan*
|
284
|
NA
|
|
29
|
Sikkim
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
30
|
Tamil Nadu"
|
979
|
NA
|
|
31
|
Telangana
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
32
|
Tripura
|
Nil
|
NA
|
|
33
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
2404
|
7612
|
|
34
|
Uttarakhand
|
137
|
NA
|
|
35
|
West Bengal
|
98
|
NA
|
|
|
Total
|
5141
|
7612
|
|
|
G.Total
|
12753
|
|
NA = Not Available
*= Provisional data for urban areas
As per Section 21 of the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013” (MS Act, 2013), Executive Magistrates who have been conferred judicial powers of first class are empowered to try any offences committed under the Act.
The sole cause for manual scavenging is the existence of insanitary latrines. Section 5 of the MS Act, 2013 prohibits construction of insanitary latrines and engaging of manual scavengers from the date of commencement of the Act i.e. 6.12.2014. The Act provides for identification of insanitary latrines and their demolition/ conversion into sanitary latrines on a time bound basis. The municipalities, Cantonment Boards and railway authorities have been mandated to construct adequate number of community sanitary latrines within a period of three years from the date of commencement of the Act to eliminate the practice of open defecation. The Act also provides for identification and rehabilitation of the existing manual scavengers.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Vijay Sampla in the Rajya Sabha today.
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