Shelter home staff stages protest, seeks clearance of pending wages

Employees of 24-hour shelter homes spread across the capital held a protest outside the office of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board on Thursday against non-payment of wages for the past eight months.

Around 80 members of different NGOs running these shelter homes demonstrated outside the office of DUSIB’s CEO on Bela Road.

“The CEO has agreed to release the eight-month held-up payment of the caretakers of 24-hour shelters in two batches. He said for the first four months, the department has already sent the arrears to the Mother NGO to give it to different voluntary organisations,” said a member of Shahri Adhikar Manch: Begharon Ke Saath.
“And for the next four months — April to July — it will release the dues by August 15,” added the member.

According to Shahri Adhikar Manch: Begharon Ke Saath, the CEO has told them that if the payment is not made by August 15, then they can stage a protest again. “He told that if the dues are not cleared by August 15 then members of voluntary organisation can come on the next day — August 16 — and block the Bela Road,” said the member.

“He also assured that from August onwards, the department will try to release funds on monthly basis and there will be no TDS deduction on the wages paid to the caretakers of the shelters,” added the member.

Demonstrators, including members of Shahri Adhikar Manch: Begharon Ke Saath and CityMakers, said they will continue their non-violent protest, if DUSIB fails to make the payment and improve the condition of shelter homes as many of them do not have fans, drinking water and toilets.

Night home

On being asked about when would the night shelter home in Shakurpur which was demolished in March 2013 be put up again, the CEO assured that it will done soon.
The Indo Global Social Service Society (IGSSS) has been asking DUSIB to put up the shelter close to the razed home at the earliest.

“Even the Delhi High Court in its order on April 10 had asked the government to reply by May 22 to the affidavit filed by Shehri Adhikar Manch: Begharon Ke Saath on the issue of setting up of the night shelter. But the DUSIB failed to respond to it,” said Indu Prakash Singh, member IGSSS. The next date of hearing is August 7.