Govt approves rehabilitation for manual scavengers

The Delhi government on Thursday approved a rehabilitation programme under which identified manual scavengers will be provided with one-time cash assistance of Rs 40,000, concessional loans of up to Rs 15 lakh and credit-linked capital subsidy of Rs 3.25 lakh.

The programme also includes skill development training of up to two years for manual scavengers, having a stipend of Rs 3,000 per month, a government statement said.

"The rehabilitation programme for manual scavengers, proposed by the Social Welfare Department, was approved by the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal," it said.

The programme includes one-time cash assistance of Rs 40,000 to identified manual scavengers, loans of Rs 15 lakh at concessional rates of interest for projects and credit linked back-end capital subsidy up to Rs 3,25,000.

The number of identified manual scavengers in Delhi was found to be 45 during a state monitoring committee meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, in September 2018.

They were confined mostly to Shahdara, North East and East Delhi districts of the national capital, said the statement.

The district magistrates were directed to frame proposal for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers under Section 13 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013, during the meeting.