Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Vows to Take Stern Action, Pledges Strict Measures Against Manual Scavenging

Reflecting on his tenure as Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah expressed gratitude to Dr. Ambedkar for drafting the constitution, acknowledging that without it, he wouldn't have held his position.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday warned of strict action if manual scavenging was practiced in the state. The CM was speaking after the inauguration of rehabilitation and distribution of subsidies to identified manual scavengers in the state. The government distributed Rs 40,000 subsidy to each of the identified person. 

According to ANI, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, "It is our party's and Government's commitment that civic workers should live with dignity. Therefore, I raised the salary of Safai Karmacharis from 7 thousand to 17 thousand immediately after becoming the Chief Minister for the first time.”

“Manual scavenging is not allowed in the state for any reason. Legal action will be taken if anyone practiced that," he said.

The Chief Minister emphasized that it was the government under his leadership that initiated a program providing 7.5 lakh assistance for the construction of houses for workers. Reflecting on his tenure as Chief Minister, he expressed gratitude to Dr. Ambedkar for drafting the constitution, acknowledging that without it, he wouldn't have held his position. He urged people to consider opponents of the constitution as their own adversaries and outrightly reject them.

The event, organized by the Social Welfare Department and Karnataka State Safai Karmachari Development Corporation, saw the presence of Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa, along with MLAs Narendraswamy, Basantappa, and Srinivas. Over 4000 Safai Karmacharis received financial assistance during the convention.

According to statistics from the Karnataka State Commission for Safai Karmacharis (KSCSK), 96 deaths have been reported since 1993 among manual scavengers. Officials, however, acknowledged that there could be numerous unreported cases, including both deaths and complaints.  Activists disclosed that manual scavengers receive payments ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1000, whereas using a machine for cleaning costs Rs 2,000 per hour, according to a report on The New Indian Express.