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Picture Courtesy: Thehindu

Context:

The Union Cabinet extends National Commission for Safai Karamcharis tenure to combat manual scavenging, with financial implications and calls for statutory status.

About the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK)

It was established in 1994 under the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993.

The NCSK initially functioned as a statutory body until 2004.

Since 2004, it has operated as a non-statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Functions

Its primary mandate is to ensure the implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

It monitors the eradication of manual scavenging, investigates grievances, and recommends programs for the socio-economic upliftment of Safai Karamcharis.

It evaluates the working conditions of sanitation workers, ensures proper compensation for sewer-related deaths, and oversees rehabilitation measures.

Challenges faced by the NCSK in fulfilling its mandate

It currently operates as a non-statutory body, which limits its authority to enforce decisions and recommendations effectively.

Many welfare schemes and legal provisions aimed at improving the lives of Safai Karamcharis remain inadequately implemented at the ground level.

It struggles with insufficient funding and staffing, which restricts its ability to conduct field visits and detailed investigations.

Multiple agencies handle different elements of sanitation welfare, which leads to delays, miscommunication, and inefficiencies in addressing the needs of Safai Karamcharis.

Deep-rooted discrimination against sanitation workers continues in society, which makes it difficult to achieve meaningful social and economic rehabilitation.

Way Forward

• Statutory status for the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) is essential because it would grant the commission greater authority and enforceability in fulfilling its mandate and penalize violations.
• Allocate resources for technology adoption (e.g., robotic cleaners).
• Streamline efforts between central, state, and local bodies.
• Combat stigma through education and community engagement.

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Source: 

THE  HINDU