Special sewer cleaning machines to replace manual scavengers in Delhi
New Delhi, June 21: In a move to rehabilitate manual scavengers in the city, the Delhi government is all set to turn the 'safai karamcharis' into entrepreneurs by providing them loans to own sewer cleaning machines.
The decision to rehabilitate manual scavengers by providing them loans for procurement of specially-designed sewer cleaning machines was taken on Thursday in a meeting chaired by the Delhi Social Welfare and SC/ST Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam.
"This scheme will not only provide a dignified life to safai karamcharis/manual scavengers but also create a clean and safe environment to Delhiites," said the Social Welfare Ministry in a statement.
Special attention will be given to the dependents of the manual scavengers who lost their lives during manual sewer cleanings, it said.
Initially, the government will hire 200 machines, with each machine creating job opportunities for four persons, thus generating around 800 jobs.
Finances have been arranged through various institutions, including the State Bank of India, which will provide 95 per cent of the cost as a loan to each machine owner, who can repay their term loan amount in next five years.
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Two tribal girls gangraped in Chhattisgarh's Surguja; three arrested, three juveniles detained
Ambikapur (PTI): Two tribal girls were raped allegedly by six persons, including three juveniles, in a village in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district, a police official said on Thursday.
Three accused have been arrested and three minors were detained in connection with the incident that took place on the night of April 24 under Sitapur police station limits, he informed.
"The motorcycle-borne accused intercepted the victims when they, along with two other friends, were returning home on foot after attending a wedding. Two of the girls managed to escape. The two victims, one aged 15 years and another 13 years, were forced onto a motorcycle, taken to a secluded place and sexually assaulted," he said.
One of the victims returned home the same night and informed her family the next day, following which a case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at Sitapur police station on April 26 for gangrape and other offences, he said.
Medical examinations of the victims were conducted at the Sitapur Community Health Centre on April 26 and 27, the official said.
"Initial medical reports did not confirm sexual assault. However, after the victims' families expressed dissatisfaction with the findings, the girls were sent for fresh medical examination at the district hospital in Ambikapur. Based on this medical report, all six accused were taken into custody by April 30," he said.
The arrested accused have been identified as Anand Bek (27), Vikas Tigga (24) and Manish Khalkho (18), all residents of the Sitapur area. The three juveniles, two of them aged 17 years, have been detained, he said.
