LG directs Kejriwal govt to clear all dues to Dalit sanitation workers before Diwali

Expressing displeasure over the unjustified and inordinate delay in payments by the Arvind Kejriwal government, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena on Thursday directed the Chief Secretary to take immediate steps to clear all dues of Dalit sanitation workers in the national capital before Diwali.

The LG asked the Chief Secretary to look into a complaint of the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) citing non-payment of bills to the tune of Rs 16 crore by the Delhi government to over 1000 Dalit workers engaged in cleaning of sewer lines in the national capital through the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The LG said, “This was a serious matter and asked the Chief Secretary to take immediate steps to clear all genuine claims of these Dalit sanitation workers before Diwali so that these marginalised workers do not face any hardship during the festivals.”

The LG’s directions come in the wake of a representation made by DICCI, led by its chairman, Dr Milind Kamble, who met the Lieutenant Governor on September 30, complaining about the apathy of the Delhi government towards these Dalit workers, who are the first generation entrepreneurs.

The DJB had signed an agreement with DICCI to implement a technology-based solution for sewer cleaning to eliminate manual scavenging in Delhi on February 28, 2019, under which 189 contractors from marginalized communities were engaged by the DJB for cleaning of the sewer lines. These contractors have engaged over 1,000 sanitation workers who are responsible for the cleaning of sewers in the DJB areas.

Also, to implement the project, these contractors purchased sewer cleaning machines with loan assistance under the “Stand up India” scheme, a flagship scheme of the Prime Minister that aims at supporting the poor and the marginalized to become self-reliant.