BJP pledges to end manual scavenging by 2016

BENGALURU: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted party workers to engage in social causes, BJP today pledged to end manual scavenging across the country by 2016 and publicise 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' scheme among the masses to end gender imbalance.

The party also said that it will announce the schedule for several mass contact programmes in the coming days and will have office in each district of the country to push forward the government's and its political and social causes.

It will also organise several booth-level events on May 26 when the government completes one year in office.

"Taking forward the Prime Minister's policy for the upliftment of the poor and everyone's development, the party has pledged to work towards ending manual scavenging by 2016," BJP President Amit Shah said in a statement.

Party workers will go to far-flung villages to ensure that no poor and deprived family is forced to do manual scavenging, he said noting that over 23 lakh families are still compelled to do so even after 68 years of independence.

Manual scavenging is banned by law but many families continue to practice due to economic and social reasons.

Noting that the sex ratio has continued to worsen in many states including Delhi, Shah said party workers would take to masses schemes like 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' (save daughter, educate daughters) and 'Sukanya Samridhi Yojna' (girl child prosperity scheme) to reverse the trend.

Earlier, senior party leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the party would be organising a series of mass contact programmes in the coming days.

Special programmes will be held on April 6 and April 14 to mark BJP's foundation day and the birth anniversary of Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar.