New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) The Delhi government has directed all district magistrates to conduct regular inspections of night shelters across the city, following reports of serious mismanagement, fake staff and unsafe conditions for residents.
Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood chaired a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat on Friday to review the functioning of the night shelters operated by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).
The meeting, attended by senior DUSIB officials and district magistrates through video-conferencing, was convened a day after the minister conducted a surprise inspection of five shelters in the Sarai Kale Khan area, a statement said.
Sood said the inspections revealed several issues, including poor sanitation, water leakage, power failures, absence of drinking water and lack of proper attendance records.
"The presence of fake employees, unauthorised cleaners and anti-social elements inside the shelters is deeply concerning," he said.
The minister emphasised that particular attention must be given to women's night shelters and warned of strict action against any kind of negligence or irregularity.
"The vigilance department will investigate these matters and if needed, the case may be handed over to the CBI," he said.
The DUSIB informed the minister that to improve transparency and accountability, it is developing an app-based system to monitor staff attendance at night shelters, the statement read.
According to the new directions, the district magistrates, along with sub-divisional magistrates, will carry out both scheduled and surprise inspections of night shelters in their jurisdictions.
A standardised inspection format will be shared to ensure consistency in reporting and detailed inspection reports are to be submitted to both the DUSIB and the minister's office, the statement said.
The minister also asked officials to explore organising Aadhaar-enrolment camps to verify the identity of the shelter occupants and ensure that no person with a criminal background is residing there.
A separate list of night shelters where people are staying with families will also be compiled, the statement said.
The government has called for immediate corrective measures to strengthen the functioning of night shelters and ensure safe, hygienic and dignified living conditions for the homeless in Delhi, it added.