Hyderabad,  National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Vice Chairman Arun Haldar on Tuesday visited the spot in Greater Hyderabad where the two scavengers belonging to Scheduled Caste community died while cleaning sewer manholes.

The two scavengers had been swept away while cleaning manholes in Sahebnagar village of Hayathnagar mandal in Rangareddy district on August 3.

Haldar, who enjoys the status of Union Minister of State, interacted with the family members of the deceased at their residences, apart from visiting the location where the incident had taken place.

He expressed his deep anguish for engaging manual scavengers during the late night in spite of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Noting that manual scavengers should not be employed for cleaning the septic tank/sewer lines as per the Act, and the municipal administration engaged the labourers for cleaning the sewage, which ultimately led to their death.

Directing the officials to engage the machinery for the purpose, he instructed the higher officials to take stringent action on those people who are responsible for the death of the two labourers.

The officials informed the Vice Chairman about the monetary relief measures taken by the government for the families of the deceased. They informed that a case has been filed and the contractor and sub-contractor were arrested and also three officials were suspended.

They informed that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) provided Rs 10 lakh compensation each to the families of the deceased.

Haldar directed the GMHC Commissioner to provide EDLI (Employee Deposit Life Insurance), and 2 BHK houses, employment, and also Rs 5,000 pension with DA to both the families.

During the visit, he was accompanied and assisted by NSC Director, Dr. G. Sunil Kumar Babu.