Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Directorate of Social Welfare has reiterated that under Section 7 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013), no person, local authority or agency shall engage or employ, directly or indirectly, any individual for hazardous cleaning of sewers or septic tanks.
The Directorate informed that State Monitoring, Vigilance, District-Level Survey, and State-Level Survey Committees have been constituted in Goa as per the provisions of the Act to oversee implementation and compliance.
The MS Act, 2013 completely bans manual scavenging and hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, making the employment of any person for such work a punishable offence.
Violators of Section 7 of the Act are liable for imprisonment of up to two years or a fine up to ₹2 lakh or both for the first offence.
For subsequent contraventions, the punishment may extend to five years imprisonment or a fine up to ₹5 lakh or both.
Further, no court shall take cognizance of an offence under this Act unless a complaint is made within three months from the date of the alleged violation by an authorised person.
The Directorate has urged all local bodies, contractors, and individuals to strictly comply with the provisions of the Act and ensure safe, mechanised cleaning practices in the State.
