NEW DELHI: A PIL in the Delhi High Court on Friday urged it to direct the urban shelter improvement board, DUSIB, and the Delhi government to provide three meals a day to the homeless in all the shelter homes in the national capital during the prevailing pandemic and the resultant curfew.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh issued notice to the Delhi government and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) seeking their stand on the plea by Bandhua Mukti Morcha (BMM).
BMM, which is a registered organization working for the marginalized people in the country, has sought implementation of DUSIB's October last year decision, taken in its 29th Board meeting, to provide three meals a day in the shelter homes.
Delhi government standing counsel Santosh K Tripathi, however, told the court that the three meals a day scheme was discontinued last year itself and only two meals are being provided now.
The organisation, represented by advocate Anupradha Singh, told the bench that due to the second wave of COVID-19 and the resultant curfew, workers are unable to gain employment and are suffering economically.
"Most of the workers staying at shelter homes don't have any documentation. Some are interstate migrant workers who don't have a Delhi based ration card. Therefore, the workers have little means to feed themselves and their children."
"In the shelter homes, people are reported to be sick. However, the isolation centres which were running in 2020 have been closed," BMM has said in its petition.
It has also sought directions to DUSIB and Delhi government to "provide soaps, detergents, hand sanitizers, hand wash and masks to urban homeless in all shelter homes in the national capital and also medical aid.