Chandigarh MC moves to set up night shelters for the homeless

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 8

With the winter setting in, the local Municipal Corporation has started the process of setting up temporary waterproof night shelters for the homeless in different parts of the city.

MC invites bids by November 17

The civic body has floated a tender and has asked interested bidders to send their entries by November 17. The bids will be opened the same day to allot the work of setting up night shelters to the lowest bidder.

The shelters will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 1.18 crore for three months. Though the estimated cost is a little less than the amount spent last year (Rs 1.37 crore), eyebrows are still being raised over the “huge cost” being spent by the cash-starved corporation.

The civic body has floated a tender and has asked interested bidders to send their entries by November 17. The bids will be opened the same day to allot the work of setting up the shelters to the lowest bidder.

Last year, even after mid-December, the corporation had not set up the night shelters. Chandigarh Tribune had highlighted the delay. This year, however, the MC has started the process early.

The shelters will be set up in several areas, including near the GMCH, Sector 32, the GMSH, Sector 16, the PGI, the ISBT, Sector 17, the ISBT, Sector 43, Sector 20, 22, 29 and 9, and some markets. These will have quilts, mattresses, pillows, drinking water and lights. The temporary night shelters are put up every winter to provide relief to the homeless, who sleep at public places.

The homeless can be seen sleeping in market corridors and other open spaces even during the harsh winter.

Hitesh Puri, chairman of the Chandigarh Residents’ Associations Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), said the civic body should ensure that the tendering process and setting up of the shelters was expedited. “It should be ensured that the shelters are in place well before the harsh winter sets in,” he said.