Chairman of Law Commission Justice A.R. Lakshmanan has written to the Union government to take up with six State governments the issue of manual scavenging still prevalent in their States and to ask them to enforce the ban.In a letter written to Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar on October 14, Justice Lakshmanan pointed out that according to a report of the Safai Karamchari Andolan, about 13 lakh of people in the country “carry human excreta for disposal.” Quoting a letter received by him from the Uttar Pradesh Governor T.V. Rajeswar in this regard, Justice Lakshmanan said that in 1993 the Centre had enacted the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act and this Act was notified in 1997.

However, the States of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Bihar had not notified the Act and the problem was rampant in these States.

(The Governor had urged the Commission to consider issuing directions to the States concerned for effective implementation of the law banning manual scavenging.)

Justice Lakshmanan said: “I also the share the sentiments of the Governor that carrying of human excreta is most inhuman and therefore, a time limit should be fixed by which all State governments concerned should certify that the provisions of the Act have been fully implemented.

“Since the Law Commission is only a recommendatory body, I thought it prudent to bring this important human issue to your kind attention for taking up this issue with the States.

Source: The Hindu