DCW questions delay in completion of survey of homeless

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) has issued notice to the CEO of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) over delay in the completion of the survey to assess the number of homeless people in Delhi under the winter plan (2015-16) and sought details of officials responsible for this delay.

"As per DUSIB's reply, according to their winter plan for 2015-16, a survey to assess the number of homeless people in Delhi was to be completed by mid October. However, the Director (Night Shelter) has informed that the same will be start only mid November. This delay is a serious lapse on the part of DUSIB," DCW chief Swati Maliwal said.

Further stating that there was discrepancy in the survey methodology adopted by DUSIB for identifying the homeless, Maliwal stressed on the need to review the methodology.

"It has been brought to the notice of the Commission that Commissioners of Supreme Court in the writ petition (Civil) 196 of 2001 had estimated that at least one per cent of the population of cities is homeless which falls to about 1.8 lakh people in Delhi.

"However, according to the survey conducted by DUSIB in 2014-15, only 16,700 homeless people were identified by DUSIB. This huge gap is disturbing and highlights the urgent need to review the methodology adopted by DUSIB for identifying homeless," she said.

She also sought a report on the above mentioned gap and the measures that DUSIB will take to address it.