The Ayes have it- The Bill to prohibit Manual Scavenging and the Street Vendors Bill passed by the Lok Sabha

  In a bid to set new records as the most productive Monsoon Session, the UPA government finally introduced and passed the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill, 2012 on Friday, 6th September. Only last week, it was reported that over 500 safai karamchari workers staged a protest at Jantar Mantar, Delhi demanding the speedy passage of the Bill and an apology from the Prime Minister himself. The UPA had made promises in its first and second terms to eradicate the menace and indignity of manual scavenging. 

   The new bill prohibits the employment of manual scavengers and the construction of unsanitary lavatories which require manual handling of human excreta. It obligates each occupier of unsanitary latrines to demolish and convert them as per the sanitation requirements at his own cost. Offences under the Bill shall be cognizable and non-bailable and can result in imprisonment for upto 5 years. The Bill also promises to rehabilitate manual scavengers and provide for alternative employment. 

   On the same day, the Lok Sabha also passed the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012. The Bill provides for the demarcation of vending zones under powerful Town Vending Committees and grievance redressal mechanisms. It overrides all existing state and municipal acts including the Code of Criminal Procedure in order to protect vendors from harassment from local authorities and the police. Such a legislation goes a long way to protect the livelihood and social security of millions of street vendors in our cities. It follows a Supreme Court directive in Gainda Ram and Ors. v. Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Ors. [(2010) 10 SCC 715] to the appropriate government to legislate and bring out a law to recognise and protect the fundamental right to livelihood of hawkers and street vendors.