The Tamil Nadu government recently notified the re-constitution of district-level and sub-division-level committees under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The rules under the Act are to be framed soon.
The committees will advise the Collectors on the action which needs to be taken to ensure proper implementation of the provisions of this Act or any rule made thereunder. They will oversee the economic and social rehabilitation of manual scavengers and co-ordinate the functions of all agencies concerned to channelise adequate credit for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers.
These committees will also monitor the registration of cases for offences under this Act and their investigation and prosecution. They will meet once a month, according to the notification issued by the Department of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare. Though the committees were constituted by the State government in 2014, they were not officially notified. Notification is necessary for framing the rules under the Act.
