Scheduled Castes panel chief meets Shiva, Anantaiah kin

HYDERABAD: National Commission for Scheduled Castes vice chairman Arun Haldar met the family of workers, who died on August 3 after entering into a manhole at Sahebnagar, on Tuesday after being deployed for manual scavenging. 

Haldar directed GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar to provide EDLI (employee deposit life insurance) and 2 BHK flats, employment and also Rs 5,000 pensions with DA to both the families.

Speaking to this newspaper, N. Nagaraju, son of Anthaiah said, "The vice-chairman spoke to us for half-an-hour and enquired about the incident. He assured us that he would ensure that all compensation reaches us. In our presence itself, he directed the district collector and GHMC officials to provide jobs and 2BHK to us."

Haldar expressed deep anguish at Anthaiah and B. Shiva, the other victim, being engaged for manual scavengers late at night in spite of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

He added that manual scavengers should not be employed for cleaning septic tank/sewer lines as per the Act. However, flouting the norms, municipal administration had engaged manual labour for cleaning the sewage, which ultimately led to their death, he said.

Haldar directed the officials to engage machinery for that purpose. He instructed the officials to take stringent action on those people who are responsible for the deaths of the workers.

State officials informed Haldar about the monetary relief given to the families of the deceased. They informed that a case had been filed and the contractor and subcontractor were arrested and three officials suspended. They informed that Rs 10 lakh compensation to each family was provided by the GHMC, Rs 4 lakh was provided by the revenue department and Rs 5 lakh to each family by the contractor.