A government resolution (GR) to bring back the system was issued this week by the social justice and special assistance department. The move aims to "economically empower" the Valmiki and other scheduled caste (SC) communities, which have been traditionally involved in the cleaning jobs, states the GR.
All sanitation workers employed in the government, semi-government and civic bodies across Maharashtra can now nominate their kin for their job after they retire or take voluntary retirement.
In a major development, the state government has given its approval to bring back the "Warsa system", as recommended by the Lad-Page committee during seventies. Under the system, sanitation workers can nominate their family members for the job after their retirement, death or disability. The policy was discontinued in 2011.
A government resolution (GR) to bring back the system was issued this week by the social justice and special assistance department. The move aims to "economically empower" the Valmiki and other scheduled caste (SC) communities, which have been traditionally involved in the cleaning jobs, states the GR.
This virtually means the government departments and civic authorities will have to curb the outsourcing of housekeeping jobs, which has become a trend off-late. All India Safai Karmchari Congress and other unions had been blaming that outsourcing was affecting the job prospects of the SC community.
"This policy was in place since 1975 but was discontinued in 2011. The argument was that the younger lot of the scheduled caste community was getting the government jobs without any struggle or rationale. The community, however, wanted the system back as the discontinuation led to joblessness," said a highly placed official from the social justice and special assistance department.
Several posts of sweepers in different departments and hospitals in the state are lying vacant since the discontinuation of the warsa system, said an official. The GR stated the sanitation workers from SC community can nominate their wife, son/brother, unmarried or widowed daughter/sister or any other dependent for their posts.
If there are no heirs of the person, he or she can nominate any other person who takes care of him or her. If a kin is already working with the government, it doesn't prohibit the person to nominate another kin for the job.
Sociologists, however, were of the opinion that bringing back the system will only ensure that SC community will continue to do the dirty jobs, defying the very purpose of reservation. "The Warsa system was meant to address the issue of housing of scavengers and sanitation workers in the cities many decades ago. Now supporting the same social structure is a regressive move," said a government official.
Surendra Jondhale, professor of civics and politics, condemned the move calling it "absurd" and "pro-casteism". "This is nothing but perpetuation of centuries-old caste system. On the one hand, the government still doesn't provide safety gear to these workers who perform their duty in dangerous conditions, on the other, they want their families to continue this dirty job for generations."
He added, "Sanitation work doesn't require any special skill that only scheduled caste people possess. It is only poverty that is forcing them to continue the job. The government move only proves that all policies to uplift the SC community have failed to remove the poverty of this section."
A sociologist said the Safai Kamgar unions might have made such demands and not the community leaders. Social justice minister Rajkumar Badole could not be reached for the comments.
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