Government should construct night shelters in sufficient numbers

THOUSANDS OF HELPLESS PEOPLE ARE SHIVERING IN COLD – VIJENDER GUPTA 

New Delhi, 24th Nov. In a letter written to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit BJP Delhi Pradesh President Shri Vijender Gupta has demanded that sufficient number of night shelters be provided to the poor people of the capital in view of their large number. These night shelters should not be limited to Railway Stations and Bus Stands. These should be provided in all the areas of Delhi so that the poor people living in open sky may get shelter in the night. 

He told that hon'ble High Court watched the inhuman condition in which the poor people pass nights in open sky. Delhi High Court issued many directions to Delhi Government regarding night shelters in the past years and also constituted a committee. The committee gave many instructions and directions to the Government to improve the condition of night shelters yet the work is very slow. This year sufficient numbers of night shelters have not been provided as yet to the poor people. The temperature in Delhi is coming down day by day. Severe cold weather is going to start. Night Shelters should be constructed before the onset of intense cold weather.   

It is the experience of last years that the night shelters are filled to its capacity before the 8.00 p.m. because the number of the poor people is very large and the numbers of night shelters are not sufficient. Those persons who get accommodation in the night shelters have to spend 3 rupees more for using toilets. In the early morning at 5.00 a.m. the poor people are driven out from the shelters. There is arrangement for only 3000 people in the night shelters run by the Government in entire Delhi whereas the number of helpless people living in an open sky is more than 1.5 lakh in the capital. 

Shri Gupta has said that the Government should make arrangements for breakfast and tea both times in the night shelters. There should arrangement for drinking water, blankets, beds, toilets, sanitation in the night shelters. There should also be arrangement for Doctors so that poor people may get free medical aid in the night shelters.