Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 20: The city corporation had constructed buildings costing over a crore of rupees under the central government's Deen Dayal Antodaya scheme. They are meant to provide night shelter to the homeless destitute. Even though it has been two years since the buildings were inaugurated, the corporation has found it impossible to hand it over to maintenance agencies through a tender process.

Buildings with good facilities to be used as night shelters for the homeless had been built two years ago. The one at Bunder was meant to accommodate men, while the other at Urwa was for women. The people say that the officials have not made any effort to shift the destitute to these buildings. It is also true that the destitute on their own have not gone there.

The facility at Bunder is built at a cost of Rs 99.8 lac with 504.25 sq metres area in the ground floor. There is provision for 75 persons in the ground floor and 105 in the first floor. But the building has not been given for maintenance through the tender process. As such the destitute continue to sleep by the roadsides.

For the homeless, basic facilities like bathrooms, toilets, drinking water, television set, fans, cots, bed sheets, pillows etc have been provided in the building.

People who have left their native places for some reason, and spending days in the city working and spending nights at bus and railway stations, in front of shops, roadsides, grounds etc can stay at these buildings. A city corporation official said that at present, 18 men stay at the facility at Bunder while two women live at Urwa.

These buildings have to be given for maintenance to NGOs by calling for tenders. But no one has shown interest to take them on tender and at present, the city corporation is maintaining them. The rules say that those filing tenders should be backed by a minimum of three years’ experience in providing housing facilities to the destitute people. Because of this condition, no one is able to file the tender. Now, a relaxation has been made and the three years’ experience has been brought down to two. Now, a Mysuru based concern has shown interest and its experience documents are under scrutiny, an official of the corporation, Chittaranjan, stated.

As per an estimate the city has over 500 people who spend the nights in public places for want of housing. They were found struggling for food during the coronavirus lock down period last year. City mayor Premananda Shetty, says that the corporation is aware of the problem, and that because the tender process has not been completed, these buildings have not been used to the optimum.