JOIN USPalike to create shelters for homeless citizens
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is in the process of identifying land for the construction of shelter homes. To this end, it has received Rs nine crore from the State government.
Bommanahalli BBMP Zonal Commissioner Shivabasavaiah said the Palike has set up temporary shelter homes at 13 locations in the City accommodating a total of 188 people including 167 men.
He was speaking to journalists who were taken on a special inspection of the homes at Jamboo Sawari Dinne on Monday.
The inspection had been arranged a day before the visit of Harsh Mander — Special Commissioner appointed by the Supreme Court to look into implementation of Right to Food.
Mander will hold a meeting with the chief secretary and other senior government officials to evaluate the progress of Right to Food, which will benefit schoolchildren and shelterless people.
But even before Mander made his visit, the Palike swung into action, to finish projects aimed at sheltering homeless people at nights.
According to Shivabasavaiah, 22 homeless individuals have been residing at Jamboo Sawari Dinne for the past few days.
They are offered Iskcon mid-day meals every night and a medical check-up is conducted at regular intervals.
He, however, clarified that the shelter homes are not for beggars.
Venkatachalapathy, the Deputy Commissioner of the Palike’s Welfare department, who accompanied journalists, said the Palike has earmarked Rs five crore in this year’s budget for people who qualify for night shelters.
The money is to be spent on providing basic facilities like medicines, utensils, soaps, toothpaste and toothbrushes, one meal a day and counselling.
Venkatachalapathy said, “Last year, we identified 746 night-shelterless people across Bangalore, of which we could bring in 188 people to the shelters after several rounds of counselling.
Before bringing them to the temporary shelters, we conducted health check-up. We also conduct medical camps for them every month.”
The Palike has also set up a similar shelter home on JC Road, in Palike’s Bangalore South Zone, which currently houses 42 people.
Most are labourers who have migrated here from different parts of the State and the country. Previously, they had been sleeping under flyovers and other open spaces.
Neighbours’ grouse
People living near the shelter homes complain that many of the shelter users come in an inebriated state and create a scene.
Three months ago, a intoxicated dweller of the Jamboo Sawari Dinne shelter had even tried to drop a child from the first floor of the building, claim local residents, Elizabeth and Rukmini.