National Coordination Group Meeting, Safai Karmachari Andolan, 19th May 2011, New Delhi

Organizer: Safai Karmachari Andolan

Venue: Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, Hall No.S 1, Circular Road, Teen Murti Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

Description:

Since our last meeting in September 2010 several new developments have taken place with regard to our objective of eliminating manual scavenging in India. We believe it is now time to gather again as the National Coordination Group to take stock of these developments and plan further strategies.

As you know, the National Advisory Council demanded the Central Government to ensure the end of manual scavenging and rehabilitate all manual scavengers and their dependants before the end of the 11th Five Year Plan (i.e. by 31st March 2012).

The NAC resolution has been followed up by the concerned union ministries; the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Ministry of Urban Development and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. They organised a national consultation involving the secretaries, joint secretaries and all their state level representatives and have formed four task forces to implement the NAC resolution in a systematic and programmatic way. A few NGO’s and movements were invited to share their experiences and expertise.

Each of the four task forces has been assigned the following specific objectives:

1. To conduct an All India survey to identify manual scavengers
2. To review the 1993 Act
3. To examine the inadequacies of existing rehabilitation schemes
4. To ensure that all the dry latrines are demolished or replaced with flush toilets across India

As civil society organisations and movements committed to total elimination of manual scavenging, we would be in a good position to critically examine these developments and push the government forward in the right direction. In particular, we may be of great help to the task force assigned to conduct the survey, since we are closely associated with the people and have rich experience in identifying those employed as manual scavengers.

Contact Details:
Safai Karmachari Andolan
36/13 Ground Floor,
East Patel Nagar
New Delhi – 110 008
Tel: (011) 25863166
e-mail: ska_delhi@vsnl.net
Website: http://safaikarmachariandolan.org