MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Virudhunagar district collector and the Madurai corporation commissioner to file a status report on a petition seeking the rehabilitation of manual scavengers.
The petition was filed by advocate A. Sahaya Philomin Raj, who argued that despite the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, which aims to end manual scavenging and rehabilitate affected individuals and their families, the practice continues in parts of Madurai and Virudhunagar districts.
Raj's petition highlights that sections 11, 12, 14, and 15 of the Act require the identification of manual scavengers, issuance of identity cards, and provision of rehabilitation benefits as stipulated in sections 13 and 16. Raj’s team has identified 132 manual scavengers in Madurai and 164 in Virudhunagar, submitting their applications to be verified and issued identity cards. However, this process has been delayed for years.
The petitioner has requested that all applicants be officially recognized as manual scavengers and issued identity cards so they can access the benefits outlined in the Act.