“Udayam Home”, a rehabilitation centre set up by the district administration with the support of the Department of Social Justice, has been thrown open for the city’s rough sleepers. Minister for Excise and Labour T.P. Ramakrishnan inaugurated the facility, which will initially accommodate 163 persons.
Social Justice Department officials said the centre opened at Mankavu with the service support of Thanal charitable trust, would be able to accommodate 180 persons. The rooms were arranged in such a way to enusure safe stay, entertainment and all other basic services to the needy, they said.
According to officials, the project was a continuation of their welfare projects taken up during the initial days of COVID-19 outbreak for the city’s rough sleepers. With the support of the police, the district administration had traced 653 street dwellers from various parts of Kozhikode and had been given them safe temporary accommodation with food and health check-up service.
District panchayat authorities said the 163 persons who were given admission to the new centre were those who could not find their own shelter or go back to their home States. With the intervention of social workers, 78 persons who were earlier admitted to the temporary rehabilitation centre had returned to their home land. Another 138 persons had managed to find their job in various small scale industrial units, hotels, and footwear manufacturing firms.
Social Justice Department officials said the remaining ones too would be given temporary accommodation in suitable locations. All those given admission to the new rehabilitation centre would be free to go for their jobs and use the facilities free of cost, they said.