Harijan Colony imbroglio
SHILLONG: The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis will recommend to the state government not to shift the settlers of Harijan Colony.
The Member of the Commission, Jagadish Hiremani, who was on a visit to the state to review the welfare of the safai karamcharis, while talking to media persons here on Thursday urged the state government to wait for the verdict of the high court as well as the report of the High Level Committee (HLC) adding the commission would recommend the settlers are not relocated.
The HLC is mandated to find ways to resolve the issue.
He also said that the HLC should not have issued notices to the settlers of the colony when the matter is pending before the court.
Hiremani said he would submit a report to the centre and the state government following his interaction with the residents and officials of various departments of the state government.
Stating that the residents have served the state government for over 200 years and that the land was given to them by the Syiem of Mylliem, Hiremani said that they should be given all the facilities.
“If the local bodies and the state government make a plan, the commission is ready to sanction the amount from the Prime Minister housing scheme,” he said.
Citing the Supreme Court order of 1972 directing that manual scavengers in the country must be rehabilitated by giving them employment opportunity training, education, health and housing facilities, Hiremani said that the issue could have been resolved then if the state government had followed the order.
He, however, maintained that the Meghalaya government should rehabilitate safai karamcharis by providing them basic facilities like housing, health, education and employment facilities.
He pointed out that Meghalaya is not the only state faced with such a problem saying that Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu had found themselves in a similar predicament but had resolved the issue amicably.
Low wages
The Commission is also unhappy that Meghalaya has the lowest minimum daily wage of Rs 300 for the safai karamcharis.
Hiremani said the central government’s minimum wage is Rs 605 adding that he has directed all state government to pay whatever minimum wage the central Labour Commission decides.
Acknowledging that it would not be possible for the state government to review the minimum wage every year, he said that he suggested the state governments to review the wages once in five years.
He also said the safari karamcharis had apprised him of the problems faced by them which include absence of retirement facilities besides other benefits and a month’s time has been given to the department to resolve all issues.