Section 15 of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013
- (1)Any person working as a manual scavenger, in a rural area, may, either duringthe survey undertaken by the Panchayat within whose jurisdiction he works, in pursuance ofsection 14 or at any time thereafter, apply, in such manner, as may be prescribed, to the ChiefExecutive Officer of the concerned Panchayat, or to any other officer authorised by him inthis behalf, for being identified as a manual scavenger.
- (2)On receipt of an application under sub-section (1), the Chief Executive Officer shallcause it to be enquired into, either as part of the survey undertaken under section 14 or whenno such survey is in progress, within fifteen days of receipt of such application, so as toascertain whether the applicant is a manual scavenger.
Summary
- Any person working as a manual scavenger in a rural area can apply for official identification as a manual scavenger.
- The application can be submitted either during the ongoing Panchayat survey under Section 14 or at any time after that survey has ended.
- Applications must be made to the Chief Executive Officer of the concerned Panchayat or an officer authorised by him.
- On receiving an application, the Chief Executive Officer must cause a verification enquiry to be conducted.
- If no survey is currently active, the verification enquiry must be carried out within fifteen days of receiving the application.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Who can apply for identification under Section 15?
Any person working as a manual scavenger in a rural area can apply.
2. When can a rural manual scavenger submit their application?
They can apply either during the survey undertaken by the Panchayat under Section 14, or at any time after that survey has finished.
3. To whom should the application for identification be submitted?
It must be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer of the concerned Panchayat, or to any other officer authorised by him in this behalf.
4. What is the deadline for the Panchayat to investigate an application when no survey is happening?
If no survey is in progress, the Chief Executive Officer must cause the application to be enquired into within fifteen days of receiving it.
5. What is the purpose of the enquiry conducted after receiving an application?
The enquiry is conducted to ascertain whether the applicant is actually working as a manual scavenger.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 15 of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, when is a rural manual scavenger allowed to apply to the Panchayat for identification?
Q2.Under Section 15 of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, to whom must a rural manual scavenger submit their application for identification?
Q3.Under Section 15 of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, what is the maximum time allowed for the Chief Executive Officer to cause an enquiry into an application if no survey is currently in progress?
Q4.Under Section 15 and Section 16 of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, what is the ultimate legal outcome for a rural applicant if their application under Section 15 is verified as true?