Self Employment Scheme For Rehabilitation Of Manual Scavengers
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.
