Chandigarh, May 10 : The Home Secretary-cum-Secretary Social Welfare Sh. Ram Niwas convened a meeting regarding Construction and Management of Night Shelters with the aim to set up shelters for the urban homeless with appropriate facilities and enabling them to enjoy their fundamental right to life with dignity.
A scheme namely Scheme for Construction and Management of Night Shelters has been finalized for forwarding the same to the Government of India for approval through Finance Department demanding funds under the scheme for construction and management of Night Shelters. Building details of the proposed night shelters in Sector 52 and Ram Darbar, Phase-II were also finalised during the meeting. Chief Architect would shortly be submitting details of all Labour Hostels or any other such structures/buildings available in the Union Territory of Chandigarh which can be utilized for setting up of Night Shelters as per directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. Home Secretary also directed that Director Social Welfare should inspect such buildings and explore possibilities of converting them into shelters for the homeless migrant labour, rickshaw pullers and so on.
Director Social Welfare informed that one Shelter Home/ Raen Basera building is being run by the Indian Red Cross Society, UT, Chandigarh and another in Sector 26, Transport Area is under the control of Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh. Deputy Commissioner-cum-Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh would check the feasibility of making the Sector 26 facility functional as a Shelter Home after necessary alterations/ modifications. NGOs with adequate experience would be asked to mange such Shelter Homes.