LOK SABHA
HOUSING FOR HOMELESS
NO. 513. SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE
Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-
a) whether the Supreme Court has given direction to the Government to assess the availability of housing for homeless and to take steps to provide them temporary houses;
b) if so, the details thereof;
c) whether the Court was not satisfied with the implementation of National Urban Livelihood Mission and had issued appropriate direction in this regard;
d) if so, the details thereof;
e) the number of Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders allotted permanent/temporary houses after direction of court; and
f) the details of various facilities provided by States/UTs to the BPL card holders?
(SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE)
(a)to(d) There are two Writ Petitions [WP(C) No. 55/2003 and WP(C) No. 572/2003] before Hon’ble Supreme Court of India on the issue of urban homeless. Hon’ble Court has given directions in this regard from time to time.
In its order dated 13.11.2014, Hon’ble Court directed the erstwhile Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation to find out ways and means to provide shelters to all the shelter- less and homeless people in different States/ Union Territories.
Vide its order dated 04.12.2015, it expressed its dissatisfaction with the steps taken for the implementation of Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY- NULM).
Vide order dated 11.11.2016, Hon’ble Court constituted a three-member Committee headed by Justice Kailash Gambhir, Retired Judge, High Court of Delhi. The mandate of the Committee included, inter-alia, to suitably advise the State Governments in the matter. Hon’ble Court also directed the State Governments to comply with the recommendations of the Committee. The Committee directed the States/UTs, inter- alia, to conduct third party survey of urban homeless by the Urban Local Bodies to assess the number of homeless and prepare a plan for providing shelters in a phased manner.
Subsequently, Hon’ble Court vide its order dated 10.01.2018, gave directions for constitution of State Level Shelter Monitoring Committees (SLSMC) under the chairmanship of an officer, who has retired at the level equivalent to Secretary to the Government of India, to monitor the progress of Shelter for Urban Homeless Scheme.
(e)&(f) Presently, 1,602 NULM Shelters are functional in States/UTs with a capacity of 87,745 persons.
