InRajasthan, not a single person, who worked as a manual scavenger, has been identified under the Centre’s Self EMPLOYMENT Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers for capital subsidy up to Rs 5 lakh to take up alternate self-employment projects, a ministry of socialjusticeand Empowerment data states.
So far, capital subsidy up to Rs 5 lakh has been provided to 1,935 persons, who were identified as working as manual scavengers, and their dependents to take up alternate self-employment projects, informedRamdas Athawale, minister of state (MoS) for social and empowerment, while replying to an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha in April this year.
However, the data stated 2,673 persons in Rajasthan have been identified for one-time cash assistance of Rs 40,000 per family and Skill development training has been provided to 1,432 persons in the state under the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers.
Under the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers, a one-time cash assistance of Rs 40,000 per family has been provided to all identied and eligible 58,098 persons who worked as manual scavengers. Skill development training has been provided to 22,294 identied persons who worked as manual scavengers and their dependents with stipend of Rs 3,000 per month during the training period.
The Prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act 2013, which came into force on December 6, 2013, bans manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.