PMO answerable on manual scavenging: Madras HC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court shall be constrained to direct the personal appearance of any high dignitary from the Prime Minister’s Office, Secretariat, Union Home Department or the Ministry of Law and Justice if no amendment is made to the existing Employment of Manual Scavengers and Constr­uction of Dry Latrines (Prevention) Act, 1993 Act, in order to prevent manual scavenging before August 22, the Court has warned. The First Bench comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam gave the ultimatum on a writ petition by activist and Paadam editor A Narayanan.