The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) will celebrate its 32nd Foundation Day at the Mavalankar Auditorium, Constitution Club of India, in the national capital on August 23, with around 900 Safai Karamcharis and other stakeholders expected to participate in the day-long programme.
NCSK Vice Chairperson Hardeep Singh Gill said Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, along with Ministers of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale and B L Verma, will grace the occasion.
NCSK Member Karam Singh Karma, Secretary Rahul Kashyap and several senior officials will also participate in the programme.
Gill said the event will bring together Safai Karamcharis and representatives of the Central and State/Union Territory governments, urban local bodies, public sector organisations, civil society groups and other stakeholders working for the welfare, dignity and safety of sanitation workers.
The programme will focus on the dignity and welfare of Safai Karamcharis, elimination of hazardous manual scavenging and cleaning practices, promotion of mechanised sanitation, rehabilitation and social security, and the implementation of welfare initiatives of the government.
Gill also said the Commission will launch an NCSK missed-call facility number for stakeholders. The facility will enable the Commission to follow up with callers and register their grievances, issues and representations for resolution within a specified timeframe.
The NCSK is mandated to recommend specific programmes of action to the Central government to eliminate inequalities in the status, facilities and opportunities available to Safai Karamcharis. It also studies and evaluates the implementation of programmes and schemes related to their social and economic rehabilitation, particularly that of Safai Karamcharis and scavengers.
The Commission is also empowered to investigate specific grievances and take suo motu cognisance of matters concerning the non-implementation of programmes, schemes, decisions, guidelines and instructions aimed at mitigating the hardships faced by Safai Karamcharis and promoting their social and economic upliftment.
In addition, the Commission monitors working conditions, including health, safety and wages, of Safai Karamcharis employed by various organisations, including government bodies, municipalities and panchayats. It can make recommendations and submit reports to the Central or State governments on matters concerning the community and the difficulties faced by sanitation workers.
The enactment of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, further expanded the mandate and scope of the Commission.
Under Section 31(1) of the Act, the Commission has the jurisdiction to monitor its implementation, inquire into complaints regarding violations of its provisions and communicate its findings and recommendations to the concerned authorities for further action. It also advises the Central and State governments on the effective implementation of the law and can take suo motu cognisance of matters related to its non-implementation.
The Commission also reviews issues affecting Safai Karamcharis, including the status of compensation payments to the legal heirs of victims of deaths in sewers. Based on its findings, the NCSK makes recommendations to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on the rehabilitation of Safai Karamcharis and measures to free them from manual scavenging. Such recommendations are also reflected in its annual reports.
