CHENNAI: Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday inaugurated a night shelter for the urban homeless at Marina Beach. The shelter has been built in an area of 2,500 sq ft at a cost of `86.40 lakh. Udhaya also distributed 15 items, including mats, pillows, and bedsheets, to each of the 86 homeless individuals who are currently accommodated at the facility.
The shelter is equipped with basic amenities such as separate toilets and bathrooms for men and women, lockers for storing personal belongings, drinking water facility and electricity.
Speaking to reporters, Udhaya said the facility is expected to significantly benefit homeless individuals, including those who sell handicrafts, balloons, flowers, and other items on the beach. At the end of the day, many of them are forced to sleep in the open, exposing themselves to the harsh weather conditions. The facility, he said, would provide them with a safe and secure place.
He also said discussions are under way to establish similar shelters in other places. According to an official release, the city corporation already operates similar shelters for the homeless at 45 locations across the city.
Speaking on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Udhayanidhi reiterated his strong opposition to the exercise.
“From the beginning, we have been opposing the SIR. The timeframe is insufficient. Our chief minister has clearly pointed out how a large number of votes were removed in Bihar after a similar exercise,” he said.
He alleged more votes than expected have been removed during the revision in Tamil Nadu, highlighting that 97 lakh votes have been deleted across the state, including 14 lakh votes in Chennai alone. He said a meeting of DMK district secretaries was held on Sunday, during which instructions were given to closely monitor the exercise and take steps to add back the deleted voters (for various reasons) to the electoral roll.
Udhayanidhi also urged the public to check whether their names appeared on the electoral rolls. “They can contact our BLA-2 representatives until January 18 to have their names added back,” he said.