Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 08 November 2024
Mr. M. Venkatesan, Hon’ble Chairman of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, chaired a review meeting on November 7 to evaluate the implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The meeting, held at the A&N Secretariat’s Conference Hall, included Chief Secretary (i/c) Mr. ASPS Raviprakash, IAS, and other senior officials.
Mr. Venkatesan began his five-day visit to the Islands on November 6. Shortly after his arrival, he conducted an extensive review session at the District Office, South Andaman, engaging with the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Secretary (Commissioner) of the Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Council, Chief Medical Officer/Dean of the District Hospital, and other senior officers from the Labour, ESIC, and EPF departments. The meeting also brought together representatives from agencies involved in toilet maintenance, bio-toilets, material recovery facilities (MRF), solid waste management, and sewer maintenance, as well as leaders of Safai Karamcharis unions and associations. Individual sanitation workers were also present during the meeting.
As part of his ongoing visit, Mr. Venkatesan is scheduled to travel to Swaraj Dweep on November 8, 2024. He will then visit Car Nicobar on November 9, where he plans to hold a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office. The Chairman will conclude his tour and return to the mainland on November 10.
This visit reflects the government’s commitment to enforcing the MS Act, 2013, and ensuring the welfare and safety of Safai Karamcharis across the Islands.