New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS): The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a three-year extension of tenure for the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis (NCSK) beyond March 31.

The tenure of the Commission, established in 1993 initially for the period upto March 31, 1997, was extended from time to time and was to end on March 31 this year.

The government said that the major beneficiaries of the proposal would be the safai karamcharis and persons engaged in manual scavenging in the country since the panel would work for their welfare and uplift.

The Commission had been giving its recommendations to the government regarding specific programmes for welfare of safai karamcharis, study and evaluate the existing welfare programmes for them and also investigated cases of specific grievances.

Also as per the provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, the panel had been assigned the work to monitor the act's implementation, tender advice for its effective implementation to the Centre and state governments and enquire into complaints regarding contravention or non-implementation of the provisions of the Act.