No homeless should sleep under open sky this winter: SC to states

The Bench,which passed separate orders for different states,asked chief secretaries to ensure sufficient shelters were built for the homeless and poor.

“We direct the chief secretary to supervise and ensure that adequate number of night shelters are made available so that people are not compelled to spend nights on pavements and in parks,” the Bench said while passing the order for Delhi.

The court passed similar orders for other states and posted the matter for further hearing on January 9 when it would take stock of the situation.

The apex court passed the direction after counsel Colin Gonzalves,appearing for PUCL which filed the PIL on shelter facilities for the homeless in the country,brought to the court’s notice that state governments have so far not been able to build an adequate number of night shelters for the homeless.

The apex court had earlier passed a series of directions to states for setting up night shelters and permanent shelters for the homeless throughout the country following reports that a number of them have died due to biting cold wave conditions.