New Delhi: The government approved a three-year extension of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis' term on Wednesday, until March 31, 2025.The entire cost of the three-year extension is estimated to be around Rs 43.68 crore.

According to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, the decision was made in a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Safai Karamcharis and recognised manual scavengers in the country would be the main benefactors now that the NCSK has been extended for another three years beyond March 31, 2022."

As of December 31, 2021, there were 58,098 Manual Scavengers identified in the MS Act Survey. The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) was founded in 1993 under the provisions of the NCSK Act 1993, initially for a duration of three years, ending on March 31, 1997. The Act's legality was later extended, first until March 31, 2002, and again until February 29, 2004. From February 29, 2004, the NCSK Act was no longer in effect. Following that, the NCSK's duration as a non-statutory body was periodically extended through resolutions. The current Commission's term ends on March 31 this year.

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