NIGHT
SHELTER SCHEME FOR URBAN SHELTERLESS
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The ultimate goal of the National
Housing & Habitat Policy, 1998 is to ensure that the basic need to Shelter
for All is fulfilled in a time-bound manner and a better quality of life is
provided to all the citizens of the country by harnessing the unused potential
in the public, private and the household sectors. Till such time this goal is
achieved, it is necessary to provide some kind of shelter to the absolutely
shelterless urban population, including street children, destitute women, and
migrant labourers etc., who are in urgent need of shelter to protect themselves
against the vagaries of nature all through the year.
The
Scheme of Night Shelters for the Urban Shelterless was in operation since
1988-89.
The scheme was further modified in August 1992 to
cover all urban centers having concentration of footpath dwellers/homeless and
renamed as Scheme for Shelter & Sanitation Facilities for Footpath
Dwellers. A component for Pay &
Use toilet was added to the scheme.
The Scheme was in nature of a demand driven scheme and
implementation of the scheme as the land owning agency is undertaken by the
State Government or local municipal bodies or State sponsored agencies.
In October, 2002 the scheme was renamed as Night Shelter for Urban Shelterless and the component of Pay & Use Toilets had been withdrawn.
Physical Progress of the Scheme
As already mentioned, the scheme is a demand driven scheme and progress
of the Scheme depends on the proposals mooted by the State. Cumulatively, as on
13.10.2004, HUDCO had sanctioned 99 Night Shelters/Pay and Use Toilets schemes.
On completion, these projects would provide 17,599 beds, 17,165 WCs, 2637 baths
and 2372 urinals. A subsidy of Rs. 1580.21 lakh had been released by HUDCO for
these schemes apart from loan release of Rs. 1159.05 lakh.
The scheme has been discontinued since 1.4.2005.