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Manual scavenging was banned in Karnataka in 1970 and across India in 1995. But even now inhuman incidents of manual scavenging are reported from various parts of the state.
In the latest incident, the police at B G Kere outpost here allegedly made labourers clean a septic tank on Monday night.
Agricultural labourers Basavaraj and Ganganna began cleaning the tank around 8 pm and the work went on till late night.
A pushcart belonging to B G Kere gram panchayat was used to carry the human excreta removed from the septic tank and that was emptied near the house of an advocate, S S Samiulla. But it was removed from the location after Samiulla raised objections.
When contacted, the labourers told Express that as they do not stand a chance of getting proper employment elsewhere, they took up cleaning of the septic tank. However, police have denied all charges.
“The toilet has not been used for several years. Due to the rains, the tank was filled with soil and we wanted it cleaned,” they said.
DC Vipul Bansal refused to comment saying the incident has not come to his notice.
Earlier this year, based on a PIL filed by People’s Union for Civil Liberties, the HC had pulled up the government on manual scavenging and sought an action plan report on stopping the practice.
Reacting to the report Minister of social welfare and prisons A Narayana Swamy said: “This is gross misconduct on part of the officials and district administration should initiate action against the errant without mercy”.
Similarly, chairperson of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Kamlaben S Gurjar said: “This is an inhuman act and the errants should be criminaly prosecuted under atrocities act, more shocking is police using manual scavenging”.
She also mooted of taking up the case on a suo-moto basis and holding an inquiry into the incident.
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