People looking for work in Delhi, NCR stay in Gurgaon night shelters

27 February, 2013

Despite the residents crying hoarse over the presence of night shelters in Gurgaon, their popularity, however seems increasing, as many homeless people are turning up to take shelter. Not only from Gurgaon, but people from all over India, who come to find work in national capital and NCR, stay in these shelters of Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG).

As per sources, people from Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and even from Nepal stayed in Bheem Nagar night shelter, who came to find job and some work in Delhi and NCR in past two months.

Till December 2012, maximum number of people that took shelter on single day was 105, but last week about 125 people stayed in this night shelter, including three women from Haryana and Assam.

Though local residents claimed that there is no sufficient food available in the shelter, but sources in MCG said that the food is sufficient and is provided to all who come there.

MCG chief Ashok Sangwan also instructed his officials that no one should be sleeping on open roadsides and in areas like railway stations, bus stands, metro stations or under flyovers. He also instructed them to find and bring all these people to these night shelters so that they can be saved from cold winter nights.

He also assigned two more vehicles to bring these people from all over the city. MCG, also with the collaboration of railway authorities, is making daily announcements at the station so that they can raise awareness among people sleeping on platforms, and encourage them to come to shelters safely.

When this citizen journalist visited Bheem Nagar night shelter there were no sufficient beds and beddings, but MCG sources now claim that they have brought sufficient beds for the people staying there. They have also replenished the food supply after witnessing the increasing attendance.

MCG Commissioner also appealed to councillors, RWAs and business groups to support MCG in this cause and invest their time and money to make Gurgaon safer for the people coming from outside.