Berhampur,25th Dec..
With mercury dipping in several parts of Ganjam district in the last few days,it is the homeless who are the worst hit. Most of them are rickshaw-pullers,jobless persons,rag-pickers and stranded passengers,who can be seen in Berhampur city during night hours.They used to spend the nights sleeping on shop verandahs, outside railway station,bus stand or under the open sky in the absence of night shelters.The homeless,somehow managed in summer and even in rainy season.But the winter cold turned painful and unbearable for them.For such people govt excuted a`Scheme of Shelter for Urban Homeless(SSUH)with a aim to providing shelter equipped with all essential services to serve the poorest of the poor segment of urban societies.Accordingly the Berhampur municipal corporation(BeMC)also constructed a SSUH named`Ashraya`near Ananda sarani street in the city.However,the SSUH with only a streanth to provide shelter to 60 persons,proved total inadequate.As per the directive of Apex court,such shelter homes with a capacity to accomodate 100 persons at par with one lakh population should be constructed.But,in Berhampur,with a population of over five lakhs and another around 80 thousand floating population,the 60 bedded shelter home is there.As per the govt norms,the Ashraya has the basic common facilities including water, sanitation, electricity, kitchen, common recreation etc.However,it failed miserably to accomodate poors.The irony is that,as per the directive of the Supreme Court,around a decade ago,the BeMC had planned for construction of three night shelter homes at old bus stand,Lanjipalli and Ananda sarani street.While the building at old busstand proposed to be used for shelter home has been demolished for construction of market complex,before accomodating the homeless persons,the Lanjipalli not yet operational and the only shelter home is functioning near Ananda sarani street.On the otherhand,the homeless poors has no option other than to opt for open defecation and to bath in ponds.However,the BeMC officials prefered mum over the matter.Not only Berhampur,the homeless poors in other urban areas,across Ganjam district leading a miserable life in winter.When major towns like Bhanjanagar,Aska,Digapahandi,Khalikote,Chatrapur etc sans the shelter homes,Chikiti NAC has a shelter home.The Chikiti home has been entrusted to a WSHG to manage by Chikiti NAC.However,the home with a capacity to accomodate around 20 persons,often seen with 5/6 persons of begger catagory and other poors seen sleeping on the varandha of shops.
