New Delhi- The Union Budget for the fiscal year 2024-2025 has drawn sharp criticism for its complete omission of provisions for sanitation workers, including manual scavengers.

The Finance Minister's presentation in Parliament, which failed to address the needs of this marginalized community and the government’s stance on manual scavenging remains controversial, further fueling dissatisfaction.

In a recent exchange in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale claimed that there have been no reports of manual scavenging in the country over the past five years.

This assertion was made in response to questions raised by Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale regarding the prevalence of this illegal and degrading practice.

In response to parliamentary queries, Athawale stated that the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, effectively bans manual scavenging, and those engaging in such practices are subject to penalties.

He further claimed that the 'Swachhata Abhiyaan' mobile app, launched in December 2020 to report insanitary latrines and associated manual scavengers, had uploaded 6,256 cases from 114 districts, all of which were found to be non-credible upon verification.

Athawale's statement, however, starkly contradicts findings from various surveys and reports, including those conducted by NITI Aayog, which indicate ongoing incidents of manual scavenging, particularly in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Jammu & Kashmir. The minister's denial of manual scavenging's existence raises concerns about the government's commitment to addressing this issue.

Athawale Forgets His Own Statements?

Minister Ramdas Athawale's statement on Wednesday that manual scavenging does not occur in India is contradicted by his own statements from December 2023.

During a response to questions from TMC member Aparupa Poddar, then, Athawale had revealed that there had been significant fatalities related to manual scavenging in recent years.

According to his December 2023 statement, 76 deaths were reported in 2018, 133 in 2019, 35 in 2020, 66 in 2021, 84 in 2022, and 49 in 2023. Despite these figures, Athawale previously stated that manual scavenging is prohibited and claimed that 714 out of 766 districts have declared themselves as manual scavenging-free.

The data for 2023 indicates that the highest number of deaths occurred in Rajasthan (10), followed by Gujarat (9), and other states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Jharkhand.

The Union Budget 2024-25, presented on Tuesday, has been criticized for its failure to allocate funds for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers. The Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), which was designed to support the transition of manual scavengers to alternative livelihoods, has been scrapped.

This decision has been perceived as a blatant disregard for the welfare of sanitation workers and a failure to acknowledge their human dignity.

Advocates argue that the government’s lack of budgetary provisions and its denial of the ongoing issue of manual scavenging reflect a broader pattern of neglect and inhumanity.

Manual scavengers often face severe discrimination and are compelled to continue their work in secrecy due to fear of reprisal from local authorities and police. This situation further exacerbates their vulnerability and hampers efforts to provide them with alternative, dignified employment.

Bezwada Wilson, National Convener of the Safai Karmachari Andolan, says while the government is denying the inhuman practice of manual scavenging in the country, the situation on the ground is completely opposite.

Manual scavengers are even afraid to reveal their identity to state. In many instances, state governments with the help of Police are threatening the manual scavengers with arrest, if they continue to do manual scavenging. In such situation, they are not revealing identities necessary to provide a self- declaration.

This gives governments an opportunity to absolve themselves of any responsibility for rehabilitation of manual scavengers or provide them with alternative dignified livelihood.

Wilson has called for the Prime Minister to release a white paper detailing the government's actions over the past decade concerning manual scavengers. The activist also demands a special rehabilitation package to support the community’s liberation and transition to dignified work.