MCG in dire need of resources to keep the doors of night shelters open

04 March, 2013

To improve the conditions and provide better facilities for the homeless people who stay in night shelters of Gurgaon, Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has appealed Gurgaonites to support the cause in kind and cash. MCG's NGO, Urja Samiti, engaged in a number of causes besides the night shelters, is asking people to come forward and donate to support various causes.

“Since the year 2000, Urja Samiti has been promoting the cause of clean energy and energy conservation. It has also been promoting various other causes of social welfare for weaker and marginal sections of society, such as promotion of kids, young, women as well as elder persons of different fields to modern living standard, their awareness, rural awareness drives, cleanliness drives, tree plantations to make healthy environment and other means of service etc.,” said Sanjay Chugh, PRO MCG and General Secretary of Urja Samiti.

In 2010, MCG had setup two night shelters in Gurgaon. These are located at Bhim Nagar, Railway Road, Gurgaon and in Community Center, Village Kanhai, Sector 44 - 45 road Near HUDA City Centre Metro Station, and both of them are providing shelter to a number of people –both locals and outsiders.

Since its inception, Urja Samiti has been assigned to manage and maintain these shelters. Over the last two years, more than 17,000 homeless and needy persons have been provided a place to spend their nights. “These people have been provided warm/ comfortable beddings, clean toilets, dinner, breakfast etc. The beneficiaries include homeless and other needy people who were earlier forced to spend their nights at railway station, metro stations, bus stand and roadsides, under various flyovers in the harsh weather,” Chug added.

He also said that Urja Samiti till now has been arranging money from various resources, including business organizations and private donations, but to carry on with the cause they need more money.

“Urja Samiti and its various volunteers have been providing continuous service in maintaining various services in these night shelters also. We are in need of funds/ donations for these people as there is a paucity of funds on account of the reason that until now we have not collected any funds from any source and we have incurred expenses upon the maintenance of night shelters at our own.”

So, we appeal the donor industrialists/ people to maintain and support these activities continuously by way of providing some funds for this purpose so that more and more such type of projects may be undertaken in the coming years," Chugh appealed.

He said that people may donate through cash or cheque in favour of Urja Samiti and may also provide food etc on various important occasions. He added that people need not to have any fear about their donations as they will not be used in any wrong cause.

“It will be better to intimate that Urja Samiti is a registered organisation and all such donations made to Urja Samiti are eligible for a tax relief under Income Tax section 80G,” he informed.