Queency Jain
The Orissa High Court directed the Water Corporation of Orissa (WATCO) to file an affidavit before the next date specifically on disbursements of compensation to the families of the sanitization workers who died during manual scavenging at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
A suo moto petition was instituted by Chief Justice Dr S Muralidhar and Justice Savitri Ratho of the incidents involving “Egregious violations of the mandatory provisions contained the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.”
Amicus Curiae Mrs Pami Rath, during the course of the hearing, submitted a note stating that the replies filed by the opposition parties do not address certain key issues highlighted by her regarding implementation of the provisions of the status referred by the Court in previous order dated 19 April 2021.
After informing Amicus regarding one more incident that took place in the Kandhamal district, the Court directed the State of Odisha, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to file a separate additional affidavit addressing the issues raised by Amicus.
The Court on order dated 19 April stated, “The shameful practice of making persons belonging to the underprivileged and poorest sections of Indian society undertake the hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks continue unabated notwithstanding the enactment of the PEMSR Act. It shocks the judicial conscience, as it should the society’s collective conscience.”
The matter is listed for further hearing on 6 July.