SC agrees to examine right to shelter for pavement dwellers

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today decided to examine the issue of "right to shelter" for pavement dwellers across the country.

A bench comprising Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai said it would go into the issue and asked the PIL petitioner to expand the ambit of the plea by including all states rather than restricting it to Maharashtra.

"Why have you confined the petition to Maharashtra only? It would be better to include all the states," the bench said while issuing notice to the Centre and Maharashtra government on a PIL filed by NGO Nav Jivan Sahara Samajik Vichar Manch.

The NGO submitted the right to shelter is a fundamental right under Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution.

The plea has highlighted the problems faced by the persons who are forced to live on pavements in cities of Maharashtra.