Manual scavenging: HC seeks report from local bodies to ensure they are equipped with necessary infrastructure
In this context, the court has also observed that it is incumbent that all local bodies are equipped with necessary infrastructure either on their own or by engaging a contractor who must be equipped with the necessary machines and equipment to be used by sanitation workers engaged by the local body or the contractor.
The court passed an order in this regard on July 7, while acting on a public interest litigation (PIL), seeking strict implementation of the 2013 Act in Gujarat.
The PIL was moved by an Ahmedabad-based voluntary organisation, Manav Garima, in 2016, seeking strict implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, in the state. In the PIL, the petitioner had highlighted repeated incidents of death of people engaged in manual scavenging by contractors hired by the municipalities and municipal corporations as well as other local bodies across the state.
Complying with an earlier order of the court, the Commissioner of Municipalities had filed an affidavit before the court, stating that a virtual meeting was convened with the Regional Commissioners of municipalities of six zones, the Mission Director, Swachchh Bharat Mission and Deputy Commissioner (Administration) on April 30 this year wherein they were directed to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the state government through its Urban Housing and Urban Development department to all local bodies by a government resolution, dated April 3, 2025.
As recorded by the court in its latest order, the guidelines in the government resolution included procurement of 'certain machineries (equipment) for cleaning of drains so that the safety of safai karmi of the local bodies can be ensured.'
In its order, the court noted, 'As there is a mandate for cleaning of drains and manholes in a particular manner, there is a requirement to equip the nagarpalika, municipal corporations and other local bodies with these equipment. There is a requirement to make an inquiry as to whether the local bodies in the state are equipped to carry out the mandate of the government resolution dated 03.04.2025…'
The court order added, 'We say so, as according to us, payment of compensation, termination of contract, blacklisting of contractor and lodging of first information report against the contractor and erring officers are not a complete answer to the problem. The main issue is about absolute eradication of manual scavenging or manual sewer cleaning in the state of Gujarat by ensuring strict compliance of the provisions of the Act.'
'Once manual scavenging is completely banned, any engagement of a single person as manual scavenger is violation of the legislative prohibition. It is the duty of the executive to ensure strict implementation of the legislative provisions and in this direction, it is incumbent that all local bodies are equipped with necessary infrastructure either on their own or by engaging a contractor who must be equipped with the necessary machines and equipment to be used by safai karmi, engaged by the nagarpalika or the contractor.'
It also stated: 'We, therefore, require the Commissioner of Municipalities (Administration), Gandhinagar, to get a specific report from each of the local bodies through the concerned officer…whomsoever is in direct supervision of the local bodies to ensure that all local bodies in the state are equipped with the equipment/machineries as mandated in the government resolution dated 03.04.2025.'
The court said that after receiving reports from the officers concerned, the office of Commissioner of Municipalities has to 'compile the same and place it before the court'.
'Considering the seriousness of the issue', the court also said that the Advocate General of the State should be engaged to assist the court in the matter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
14 minutes ago
- The Hindu
It was Congress' conspiracy to malign Hindu community: Indore man discharged in Malegaon blast case
An Indore-based businessman who was discharged in the 2008 Malegaon blast case eight years ago, on Thursday (July 31, 2025) welcomed the acquittal of seven accused, and alleged that he was implicated in the case as a result of the Congress's "conspiracy" to malign the Hindu community. Demanding an apology from the Opposition party, he accused it of coining terms like "Hindu terrorism" and "saffron terrorism" to appease a particular section of society. A special court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit, observing that there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" against them. The blast had killed six persons and injured 101 others nearly 17 years ago on September 29, 2008. Businessman Shyam Sahu from Indore, who was arrested in this case in October 2008, said he was in judicial custody for three years. The special court, however, discharged him in 2017 citing lack of evidence. Talking to PTI, Mr. Sahu alleged that he, Pragya Singh Thakur and others were implicated as part of a "Congress conspiracy" to malign the Hindu community by coining terms such as "Hindu terrorism" and "saffron terrorism" to appease a particular section. "We have got justice," he said about the court verdict. "The Congress' conspiracy has been exposed. The party should apologise for its conspiracy, though I don't think it will," he said. He said he had to face several "ordeals" following his arrest in the case. "While I was in jail after my arrest, my elder brother Mohan Sahu came to support me during a court appearance. Before my eyes, he suffered a heart attack and died about half-an-hour later. I could not do anything to save him," he added. "No one can compensate for the loss my family suffered due to the death of my elder brother," Mr. Sahu said.
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump Mobile wants to sell you telehealth, car care and insurance
By Akash Sriram and Aditya Soni Hours after the high-profile launch of Trump Mobile , a new Trump-branded mobile service provider, in June, callers to the company's customer support line were greeted with, "Omega Auto Care, how can I help you?" Two calls placed by Reuters that day to the mobile service's helpline rang to the Missouri-based auto-warranty company, which is part of Ensurety Ventures, a St. Louis, Missouri firm led by entrepreneur Pat O'Brien, who was introduced by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. on June 16 as a member of the launch team providing "customer support and device protection" for Trump Mobile. Today, calls to the support line are answered by people who identify themselves as Trump Mobile support staff, but the first-day confusion speaks to the dizzying speed with which the Trump family has scrambled to set up the businesses. In addition to Trump Mobile, the family has established several ventures since President Donald Trump was elected to a second term in November. These include 12 new overseas development deals, a Trump-branded bible, a crypto trading platform World Liberty Financial - which has netted the president's family about $500 million since launch - a $TRUMP meme coin, and a stablecoin USD1. Trump Mobile is what's known as a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, which has grown in popularity in recent years as various celebrities and causes leverage their cultural clout to launch branded wireless ventures. T-Mobile, for instance, acquired Ryan Reynolds-backed Mint Mobile for up to $1.35 billion in May. Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, the actors behind the hit SmartLess podcast, announced SmartLess Mobile in June. At the launch of Trump Mobile, Eric and Donald Trump Jr. introduced the team, including O'Brien, Don Hendrickson, a telecom executive who will serve as Trump Mobile's head of mobile operations, and Eric Thomas, a Utah-based entrepreneur entrusted with "device operations," as having "hundreds of years" of telecom experience between them. The service, pitched by the Trumps for "hardworking Americans," will bundle telemedicine services and roadside assistance, along with a gold-toned, $499 smartphone dubbed T1 "designed and built in the United States," which a spokesperson says will be manufactured at facilities in Alabama, California and Florida. The company is charging $100 to "get in line" to buy the phone as soon as it ships. A Reuters review of the backgrounds of the Trump Mobile team reveals an interconnected web of companies owned by the three men that will form the core of the company's offering to consumers. The Trump Phone will ship bundled with an array of services provided by companies connected to O'Brien's Ensurety Ventures, Hendrickson and Thomas, including roadside assistance, device protection, and telehealth services , including "easy ordering" of prescription medications, according to its website. Reached by phone, O'Brien would not disclose the type of phone that will ship to users but did say it would run on Google's Android mobile operating system. "The plan is going to be able to have the phone done by September and launching where we're fulfilling orders in early October," O'Brien said. He added that the brand will initially launch one phone and eventually develop many devices, adding that the T1 has gotten a lot of pre-orders. He did not specify how many. From the start, telecom industry experts challenged the notion that the phone - or any competitive mobile device - could be built in the U.S. "Domestically manufacturing a smartphone in the USA could easily double its price compared to a similar one made in Asia," said Ken Hyers, Director of Market Analysis at TechInsights. Within days of the announcement, Trump Mobile dropped the Made in USA claim from its website. Now, a Trump Mobile spokesperson said the T1 is being manufactured in three states with the goal of sourcing "as many materials and parts from the U.S. as the supply chain allows." "We will continue to build on that as more and more parts and equipment are made here in America," the spokesperson said. Eric and Donald Trump Jr. did not respond to a request for comment. Thomas did not respond to requests for comment and Hendrickson could not be reached for comment. VIRTUAL OPERATOR Rather than building a telecom operation from scratch, Trump Mobile's wireless service will run on Liberty Mobile's network, a "virtual" network that leases cellular capacity from major carriers such as Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, and is co-owned by the three members of the launch team, O'Brien, Thomas and Hendrickson. The company has not disclosed subscriber numbers, and O'Brien declined to provide them to Reuters. Incorporated in 2018 and registered to a condo in Trump Tower Miami, Liberty's service appears to be nascent, offering older smartphone models such as the iPhone 11. Its LinkedIn profile shows it has fewer than 50 employees and its website displays the text "lorem ipsum," typical placeholder text used to design pages before the content is final. Liberty's most recent annual filing in Florida dated February 7, 2025, lists Matthew Lopatin as its CEO and president, an entrepreneur who has founded and owns several businesses in Florida, filings show. Liberty and Lopatin did not respond to requests for comment. Hendrickson is listed as executive vice president of sales of Liberty Mobile. His son, Christian Hendrickson, worked at Liberty during the pandemic, according to his LinkedIn profile. Christian Hendrickson did not respond to a request for comment. BUNDLED SERVICES Among the services that will be bundled with the phone is VMed Mobile, a company jointly owned by O'Brien, Hendrickson and Thomas that sells portable wellness trackers and telehealth subscriptions, O'Brien said. The company certifies its products through a Shenzhen, China-based subsidiary, according to FCC filings on the company's website. O'Brien told Reuters he has been "personally involved" in Liberty Mobile for three years and that Liberty originally reached out to him to provide health tracking services. Liberty's website lists VMed Mobile as a service. Telehealth services for Trump Mobile will be provided by Doctegrity, according to its website. Doctegrity is a Texas-based telehealth subscription platform led by Jesse Ohayon, according to his LinkedIn profile and a YouTube posted months ago. Ohayon and Doctegrity did not respond to requests for comment. O'Brien's Ensurety Ventures controls roadside assistance provider Drive America and device insurance vendor Omega Mobile Care, two other services advertised by Trump Mobile. A separate webpage for the Omega Mobile Care lists three device protection plans for cracked screens between $100 and $300. Drive America, founded in 1968 and once owned by Ford Motor and Citi Group, serves 12 million customers, according to its website. Omega Auto Care, the company that picked up the phone on Trump Mobile launch day, provides vehicle service contracts and extended warranties that cover the cost of repairs for a car's mechanical breakdowns after its factory warranty expires. "We are providing products through that relationship that people normally have to pay upward of $30 per month or more to receive those benefits," O'Brien said.
The Hindu
44 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Missing of Kozhikode-based realtor Mami: department-level inquiry ordered against local police squad
A department-level inquiry has been ordered against four police officers who were initially part of a special squad that investigated the disappearance of Kozhikode-based realtor Mohammed Attoor, alias Mami, in 2023. The action comes in the wake of a recent Crime Branch report that there were serious flaws on the part of the local police squad in gathering scientific evidence in the case during the initial stages of the investigation. The report also held them responsible for not gathering crucial closed circuit television camera visuals from some of the suspected spots during the 'golden hours' to make headway in the probe. Report in 60 days Sources said the department-level inquiry ordered by Additional Director General of Police Rajpal Meena (North Zone) would be conducted under the supervision of an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Kozhikode city. The report would be submitted in 60 days for further action, they said. It was on August 21 that Mr. Mohammed, one of the leading realtors, went missing from Kozhikode city. The Crime Branch (CB) squad took over the case from the local police after the Kerala High Court rejected his family members' plea to order a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into his missing. There was also an action committee that fought for a fair investigation into the incident. Expecting a breakthrough in the probe, the CB squad had questioned about 200 persons who were earlier in touch with Mr. Mohammed for various business deals. This was apart from conducting the complicated tower dump analysis covering various mobile phone towers, which helped them zero in on a few suspicious mobile phone numbers. However, the probe lost steam midway in the absence of crucial evidence that the local police failed to gather in time.
