In the matter relating to relocation of temporary shelters for homeless person in Delhi’s Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan, the Supreme Court today (August 29) directed the NALSA to submit a report on capacity and quality of facilities provided by the State in the proposed new shelters.
The bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justices NV Anjaria and Alok Aradhe was hearing a PIL on the issue of setting up shelter homes for the urban homeless across the country.
Counsels for the Union submitted that the present temporary shelters located in Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan needed to be relocated as they were coming in way of Metro development projects. The bench was informed that at present the Metro construction work was stopped. ASG Aishwarya Bhati also appeared for the Union.
Advocate for the petitioners interjected and pointed out that in the past also 15 shelters were illegally demolished and those residing in them were not relocated. He added that presently the 8 shelters which the State now wants to shut down have over 1000 persons residing in them.
Considering the situation at hand, the Court directed the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to appoint an officer to inspect the present temporary shelters at the site as well as the quality of the proposed relocation sites.
The bench passed the following order :
“We direct the director of NALSA to appoint an officer of NALSA who shall examine the issue and submit a report (1) the number of people residing in the shelter homes in para 9 (2) whether the alternative site as proposed by the State is sufficient enough to accomodate the persons residing in those shelter homes ; (3) facilities available at the site. The report to be submitted within a period of 2 weeks from today.”
Bhushan also flagged the issue that in the previous inspections carried out by NALSA, the officer went during the day time when most people at the shelter go to their respective works and majority return at night to sleep in those shelters.
Acknowledging the same, the bench specified that the officer appointed shall carry out the inspection only after 8 PM.