Bombay High Court orders Maharashtra to establish social media handles to report Manual Scavenging

The Bombay High Court recently ordered the State of Maharashtra to establish dedicated email addresses and social media handles for District Level Committees and Vigilance Committees under anti-manual scavenging law so as to enable citizens and non-governmental organizations to report instances of manual scavenging..A Bench of Justice Nitin Jamadar and Justice MM Sathye passed the order."The Department of Social Welfare will also create a dedicated email address for each of the District Level Committees and Vigilance Committees. It shall also create a Social Media handle where citizens and non-governmental organisations can report instances of manual scavenging, which the District Level Committee and Vigilance Committee can examine. This will aid the Social Welfare Department in its statutory duty to ensure that manual scavenging does not take place. This is an addition to the duties cast on the officers under the Act of 2013," the Court said in its order passed on August 20..The creation of the social media handle and email address and uploading of the information on the website should be done by the next date of hearing which is scheduled for September 9.The order was passed on a petition filed by Shramik Janata Sangh, represented by Senior Advocate Gayatri Singh. The petitioner highlighted the plight of manual scavengers in Maharashtra despite the State government’s claims of having eradicated the practice. .During the previous hearing, the State government, represented by Government Pleader PP Kakade, had asserted that all districts in Maharashtra had been declared free of manual scavenging based on certificates submitted by Collectors from 36 districts. However, petitioners presented evidence of ongoing incidents of manual scavenging and fatalities among workers reported after these certificates were issued..The Court emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into these claims, reiterating the definitions in the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The Bench stressed the importance of examining the current reality of manual scavenging in Maharashtra..In addition to the establishment of communication channels, the Court directed the Department of Social Welfare to publish the composition of all committees formed under the Act on its website, including details of the actions taken by themThe Court further instructed that meetings of the Vigilance Committees must be held on time and their agendas should be circulated in advance and the outcomes of such meetings must be documented for transparency.Senior Advocate Gayatri Singh and advocates Sudha Bhardwaj, Nawaz and Deepali Kasul appeared for the petitioners.Senior Advocate Ram Apte with advocates Ajit Pitale and Harshad P. Nahata appeared for Bombay Municipal Corporation.Government Pleader PP Kakade and Additional Government Pleader RA Salunkhe represented the State.Advocates Sarang S Aradhye, Gauri Velankar, Saarth Chordia and Shantanu Gurav appeared for Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation..[Read Judgment]