Budget crunch: Central government has reduced fund allocation for rehabilitation of manual scavengers from 448 crore in the 2014-15 budget to Rs. 5 crore this year. Social norms: Many communities still regard the inclusion of a sanitary toilet as ritual and physical pollution of the house. Published: Friday 18 September 2020. The Union government is set to introduce The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. The Bill proposes to completely mechanise sewer cleaning, introduce ways for 'on-site' protection and provide Despite this, the health of manual scavengers and sanitation workers was highly neglected, with few receiving medical compensation for occupation related health issues and accidents. Budget brief of the Self-employment scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS)8 Accountability Initiative and Centre for Policy Research (2019) The provisions under SRMS help address only a part of the challenges faced by manual scavengers. The National Human Rights Commission has recommended enhancing the one-time cash assistance from Rs 40,000 to Rs one lakh, which should be implemented on priority. The focus of this training is advocacy for the Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), a Central Sector Scheme (CS). The training introduces basic budget concepts and processes, and locates SRMS within this framework. February 3, 2018 The Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE). The scheme was introduced in January 2007, to rehabilitate the identified manual scavengers in alternative professions by the end of FY 2008- 09. Regarding budget allocation of funds, he said Rs. 110 crores were allocated from the Budget under the Self Employment Scheme for the Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) for 2020-21, although as of September 15, no funds have been released. In 2019-20 the same amount was allocated out of which Rs. 84.80 crores were released by the government. What is manual scavenging? Manual scavenging is the practice of removing human excreta by hand from sewers or septic tanks. India banned the practice under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR).; The Act recognizes manual scavenging as a "dehumanizing practice," and cites a need to "correct the historical injustice and indignity The Central Government has revised the self employment scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers under the Act of 2013. Under such scheme the Central Government has made a budget provision of Rupees 448 crores for the years 2014-2015, as per Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri. Sudarshan Bhagat. by Faim Khalilkhan The Amendment Bill should also highlight the importance of Trade Unions, Self Help Groups, Co-operatives and Pressure Groups in the fight against eradication of manual scavenging by giving incentives to the sanitation workers who are a part of an umbrella of protection. Under SPARK project, this training module has been developed in collaboration with Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA) as a reference toolkit for training facilitators for providing budget literacy and budget advocacy training on Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilit