Self Employment Scheme For Rehabilitation Of Manual Scavengers
This topic of “Self Employment Scheme For Rehabilitation Of Manual Scavengers” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Portion.
Introduction
- The Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) was introduced in January 2017.
Ministry/Agency
- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Objectives
- To assist the identified manual scavengers and their dependants in rehabilitation in alternative occupations.
- To provide one-time cash assistance, project-based upfront capital subsidy, concessional loans, and training for skill development.
- To provide health insurance coverage and upskilling/RPL training to sanitation workers.
Benefits
- Cash assistance of ₹40,000 to identified manual scavengers.
- Project-based upfront capital subsidy up to ₹5,00,000 and concessional loans.
- Assistance for procurement of sanitation-related projects on the same scale as admissible to manual scavengers for general tasks.
- Eligible for projects costing up to ₹50,00,000.
- Training for skill development for up to two years, during which a stipend of ₹3,000 per month is provided.
- Health Insurance coverage of ₹5,00,000 under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY).
- Upskilling/RPL training to sanitation workers.
- Workshops on “Hazardous Cleaning of Sewers and Septic Tanks”.
Eligibility
- The applicant should be engaged or employed as a Manual Scavenger.
- Sanitation Workers and their dependents are eligible only for assistance for sanitation-related self-employment projects.
Implementation Strategy
- Credit linked upfront capital subsidy.
- Rate of interest chargeable from the beneficiaries.
- Period of repayment of the loan, including the moratorium period.
