Chandigarh: No takers for Group Home for mentally ill amid steep deposit, complex application process
The deadline for submitting applications is March 10, 2025, but the steep ₹20 lakh security deposit and complicated application process are proving to be significant barriers for parents and guardians
Despite a sustained campaign by parents over the past six months for the facility’s launch, the newly established Group Home for mentally and intellectually disabled persons in Sector 31 has yet to receive any applications, even 10 days after the admission process began on February 17.
The deadline for submitting applications is March 10, 2025, but the steep ₹20 lakh security deposit and complicated application process are proving to be significant barriers for parents and guardians. Even as the applicants from the economically weaker section, having yearly income less than ₹1.5 lakh, have been exempted from paying the security deposit and monthly charges, there have been no applications.
Having 80 seats, the Group Home had been built in compliance with the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, assuring mentally and intellectually disabled persons their right to community living and security while addressing the pressing question: “What after us?”.
But the admission process has failed to garner any interest so far.
Parents complain that the admission forms require detailed information, including medical certificates and the names of three guardians, one of whom must be a local resident. They have also expressed frustration with the complexity of the forms and the challenge of compiling the necessary documentation.
Pointing out that the admission forms were lengthy and demanding, a member of the Citizens for Inclusive Living Society said many parents were still in the process of gathering the required information.
Concerns have also been raised about the lack of clarity surrounding the vocational unit promised for the Group Home.
Manju Wadwalkar, a mother of a mentally ill person, wrote to UT social welfare secretary Anuradha S Chagti, questioning the imposition of a ₹7,000 monthly fee for the Day Care and Vocational Centre during the 45-day trial period. She also criticised the fact that no vocational or occupational activities had been planned for the residents, despite what was promised.
‘Standard operating procedures missing on website’
In an e-mail to the social welfare secretary, Dr BK Wariach, a member of the Group Home’s governing body, also pointed out that the website and admission forms provided only vague outlines, and critical information, such as the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for assessment, day-care and trial stays, was still missing.
When contacted, UT social welfare director Palika Arora acknowledged that no applications had been received so far but said the department was waiting for applications before the deadline of March 10.
She said advertisements had been placed in newspapers, and notices had been posted on the department’s website, with information also being circulated through groups concerned.
Rough sailing since the outset
The project itself has been marred by a lack of proper planning since the beginning. Initially announced in March 2022 by then UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit, the Group Home’s foundation stone was laid in August 2022.
The project, originally under the supervision of the UT health department, was later handed over to the social welfare department in July 2023 while construction was already underway.
Nearly two years later, the facility is now ready, but the high operational costs remain a bone of contention. While other similar facilities, such as the Senior Citizens’ Home in Sector 43, cost the department around ₹30-35 lakh annually, the estimated cost for running the Group Home exceeds ₹1 crore a year.
This disparity has led to high charges, including the ₹20 lakh security deposit, argues the department, but parents contend this makes the facility unaffordable and inaccessible for most.
