No laxity allowed: PMO seeks status report on night shelters

NEW DELHI: Making it clear that no laxity will be allowed on the issue of night shelter management, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has sought a detailed action plan from the city administration in this regard. The PMO has also asked the latter to file a fortnightly status report based on spot inspections.

A letter from the PMO to the state lists the necessary measures to be taken by the administration for the benefit of the homeless.

In the letter, a copy of which is with TOI, the PMO seeks to put in place a fool-proof mechanism to assess the needs and facilities at the 219 shelters across the city. It also wants to know how many tents to be put up in the coming days to reach out to more homeless people. The move is aimed at providing relief to hundreds of men, women and children who continue to brave the cold in the open.

There has been no agreement over the number of homeless people in the capital with the state claiming it to be just 17,000 based on a survey. NGOs have contested this with figures ranging from 55,000 (state's Mission Convergence survey of 2010-11) to over 2.42 lakh.

The PMO letter says that shelters are not just enough but it is critical that the inmates get necessary facilities with repair and maintenance being the focus areas.

Keeping the " Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan" in mind, the letter goes on to say that when basic needs of occupants of night shelters are addressed, there should be special emphasis on toilets. "Adequate water, sanitation, protection from the cold and medical facilities are critical," the letter read.

The state has been asked to submit a status report on the issue on the 15th of every month. The Prime Minister's Office has also directed the state to submit a district and ward-level plan for shelters and their management.

The PMO also wants that this plan should create a formal mechanism to fix responsibility on the officials concerned.