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Free meals resume at Delhi homeless shelters
New Delhi:
New Delhi:
The Delhi government has asked all the shelter management agencies in the city to immediately resume providing two meals a day free of cost at all homeless shelters. While distribution of free lunch and dinner started from Monday, a few shelters were left out on day one.
The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has about 200 shelter homes, including porta cabins and permanent buildings, where around 7,000 homeless people stay at present. The government has roped in various NGOs to run these shelters, which will also provide meals to occupants.
The board in an order issued on Sunday asked all shelter management agencies concerned to provide free lunch and dinner to homeless people who stay at DUSIB shelter homes from July 13.
The free distribution of cooked food had started during the nationwide lockdown when the government started feeding occupants of these shelters as well as migrants and others in need through its 2,500 hunger relief centres.
The DUSIB had, however, discontinued free meals from July 1, triggering appeals from NGOs and activists to resume the scheme.
The meals include khichdi for lunch and dal, chawal, chapatis and vegetables for dinner.
“We started providing meals from today. The shelter occupants, who were really upset about the food distribution being stopped earlier, were more than happy to receive the meals. There are a lot of senior citizens in these shelters, who are sick and cannot go out for work and hence require daily meals,” said Prabhas Chaudhary of Safe Approach NGO, which has nine shelters in North Delhi under its supervision.
At some other shelters, occupants complained of not being provided breakfast.
A senior DUSIB official said on condition of anonymity said the free meal scheme had been resumed and food was provided at most shelters on Monday. The remaining shelters will be covered from Tuesday.
“Since the order was issued just a day before, some NGOs could not arrange for the meals. The scheme was under assessment and in view of many homeless people still not getting jobs or enough money, it was decided to resume the meals till the situation improves,” the official said.
He said the government plans to start community kitchens at some of the shelters, which are housed in permanent structures. “There are around 18 shelters, which are designated for families, and 17 others, which are only for women. We plan to start a kitchen in these complexes where dry ration and cooking equipment will be provided to occupants and they will be able to cook their meals. It is expected to start soon,” he said.
