Starving and Forgotten: Karnataka HC Shocked at Plight of Safai Karmacharis in Kolar

Social Issues Social Inequalities and exclusion

Posted by NewAdmin on 2025-04-11 08:58:40 |

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 90

---

In a sharp rebuke to the state administration, the Karnataka High Court on Monday questioned the disappearance of the ₹80 crore rehabilitation fund that was sanctioned in 2018 exclusively for Safai Karmacharis (manual scavengers) in the Kolar district. Expressing serious concern over the dire conditions faced by these workers, the court said that many of them had been forced to return to manual scavenging due to extreme poverty and lack of support.

A Division Bench, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) related to the welfare of Safai Karmacharis, noted that the funds sanctioned seven years ago were meant to rehabilitate hundreds of manual scavengers in the district and support their transition to dignified livelihoods. However, the court observed that not a single rupee from the promised ₹10 lakh per person rehabilitation package had reached many of the identified beneficiaries.

“What happened to the ₹80 crore sanctioned by the State government for the rehabilitation of Safai Karmacharis in Kolar?” the court asked sternly. “Why are these people still starving and being driven back into hazardous and inhumane work?” It went on to comment that the failure of disbursement indicated systemic neglect and called for immediate action from the concerned authorities.

The High Court noted that despite numerous declarations and welfare schemes, ground realities remained unchanged. The continued prevalence of manual scavenging—despite being banned under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013—reflects a disconnect between policy and implementation.

The court has directed the State government to submit a detailed report on the status of the ₹80 crore package, its disbursal mechanism, and the steps taken to rehabilitate the affected Safai Karmacharis. It also demanded accountability from the officials responsible for implementing the scheme and ensuring the protection of basic human rights.

With hundreds of families still living in abject poverty, the court emphasized the urgent need to uphold the dignity and welfare of Safai Karmacharis and ensure they are not forced back into degrading work for want of economic alternatives.

Go!