Karnataka State Commission for Safai Karmacharis has recommended to the State government to initiate action against officers of urban local bodies if the practice of manual scavenging is detected in their cities.
This “evil practice” is banned by law and those who support or encourage the practice can be punished for up to six months. A recent study has indicated that Karnataka has an estimated 15,400 night soil carriers.
But most officers of city corporations, city municipal councils, town municipal councils and town panchayats keep denying their existence.
Narayana, president of the commission, held meetings with officers in Bidar and other cities on Wednesday.