MBT seeks SHRC’s intervention to get night shelters for poor

The Majlis Bachau Tahreek (MBT) on Friday sought the intervention of State Human Rights Commission to make Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) provide night shelter for homeless people.

MBT leader and ex-Corporator Amjed Ullah Khan submitted a memorandum to SHRC Chairman Justice Nisar Ahmed Kakru alleging that the GHMC utterly failed to implement the order of the Supreme Court which directed all States to ensure that no homeless should sleep under open sky. “Although the GHMC has made some attempts in the past to provide Night Shelters, it did not take any measures this year. The decreasing mercury levels have been increasing the threat to the lives of thousands of people who are forced to lives on streets under open sky,” he said.

Amjed Ullah Khan said that according to rough estimates, nearly 5,000 homeless people were spending night under open skies in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The GHMC itself conducted a rapid survey in January 2014 which led to shocking revelations. The GHMC survey had revealed that the city has 3,498 homeless people who have made the roads, pavements and open spaces their home. They included 2,520 men and 979 women. The survey conducted by 93 teams revealed that 1,078 were beggars; 724 were those attending on patients admitted in hospitals; 1,209 were those who migrated for a livelihood; 127 were People in transit; 488 were people who came temporarily for some work in the city; 303 were people from the city, but who have no home and 647 people were those who have landed in the city for other reasons and are staying on pavements.

“Except for some change in statistics in categories of people, nothing has changed for these poor people. Although the GHMC had assured to prepare an Action Plan to establish night shelters for poor on permanent basis, nothing has been done so far,” he said adding that the civic body has adequate funds to take up night shelters project. (INN)