During their visit to the state, a Commission team, led by chairman K M Muniappa, had expressed serious concern over the plight of sweepers and scavengers and directed the government to improve their socio-economic conditions.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Fakirbhai Vaghela told newsmen on Thursday that the ``government had the Commission advice seriously and decided to implement the rehabilitation programme in the right earnest throughout the state.''

Of Rs 150 crore earmarked for creating alternative jobs for the sweepers and scavengers under the programme, Rs 21 crore has been spent, while Rs 30 crore has been provided for thecurrent financial year, Vaghela said, adding the entire amount would be utilised over the next couple of years.

He said two functions, one each in Mehsana and Rajkot, would be organised in May to distribute auto-rickshaws and other vehicles among sweepers and scavengers under the scheme, to be followed by similar functions in other parts of the state.

The Minister said about 200 scavengers were given auto-rickshaws at two functions in Vadodara and Ahmedabad, while milch cattle had been provided to some 450 families in Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Mehsana and Kheda districts, and added that arrangements had been made with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to ensure purchase of milk from sweepers and scavengers.

Referring to Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel's warning that if any municipality was found encouraging the practice of manual scavenging, it would be superseded, Vaghela admitted that the practice was on in certain places, including Porbandar, while it had been abolished at Ranpur in Ahmedabaddistrict.