New night shelters at Kashmere gate to be functional from Oct 5: Delhi govt to HC

The Delhi Government on Monday informed the Delhi High Court that the newly constructed night shelters at Kashmere gate will be functional from October 5.

Delhi Government counsel apprised the said facts to a Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh.

Thereafter the High Court directed to treat the petition as representation seeking to open the newly constructed night shelters at Kashmere gate and the two damaged ones be repaired and redone and put up for public use

The Court was hearing a petition filed by social activist Sunil Kumar Aledia, seeking direction to the respondents to ensure that the newly constructed night shelter at Kashmere Gate, which is ready for past more than eight months and which waiting for the inauguration be opened for use by the homeless population with or without inauguration with immediate effect.

The petition filed by advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra and Nitin Kumar Nayak urged the Court to issue direction to the respondents to ensure that the two damaged night shelters at Kashmiri gate are reconstructed and are put to service for the homeless population.

The petition also sought to issue direction to the respondents to forthwith make arrangements in shelter homes with adequate water and electricity facilities, bio-toilets, simple, light breakfast and dry ration.

"Inaugurations are important! But they are not as important to leave the people drenching in rain and weather when a shelter is ready and is not being opened just for want of an inauguration ceremony," the petition read.

"The present petition concerns the area of Kashmere gate which is a High Concentration area for the homeless persons. It is a common view in Kashmere gate, (Jawahar Shramik Sthal) area to see people sleeping in the open beside the road and on the pavements etc."

"That for past eight months a new night shelter structure is ready and locked and is not being opened while the homeless population is drenching itself in the rain and the weather however the gates of the same is being kept locked for a ribbon to be tied and for scissors to arrive, " the petition read.

It is unfortunate that despite the representations made and the monsoon having arrived the need for a night shelter is evermore, the same is being kept closed for want of inauguration, the petitioner said.

( With inputs from ANI )