SHILLONG: In response to the photo of a homeless boy covered with a cardboard to keep himself warm which appeared in The Shillong Times on Sunday (in picture), Rev. Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh, Member, State Level Monitoring Committee, Shelter for Urban Homeless, has urged government agencies like Municipal, Health, Social Welfare, Police and District Administration to lend their hands to the needy during winter.
He also asked the concerned authorities to immediately take the child to a shelter home or any child care centre as per the law. “ He should also be given proper care like food, medicine and warm clothing, he said.
Rev Pyrtuh said it is ‘unfortunate’ to learn through a section of media that people are still sleeping on the pavements, verandahs of shops, bus stands and other unhygienic places in and around the city even as the temperature is dipping and the city is gripping with extremely cold weather.
Pyrtuh said as per the scheme for Shelter for Urban Homeless which was issued by the SC, the state government had constituted an independent and impartial State Level Monitoring Committee to monitor the progress of shelter homes, scope of the scheme, compliance with the operational guidelines of shelter for urban homeless, slow progress in setting up of shelter homes and uitilization of funds.
The State Level Monitoring Committee had met several times in the past couple of years and they had also inspected various shelter homes in Shillong and Jowai.
He also said as per reports, shelter homes will be made ready in other district head quarters of the State. In Shillong, shelter homes for the homeless are available and functional, he said.
He also urged the people to pro-actively inform the concerned authorities if they come across homeless people at Meghalaya Urban Development Agency,1st Floor Raitong Building, Secretariat Hills or can contact Pyrtuh at 6033005175 or email [email protected].
The High Court of Meghalaya had earlier in May 2019 disposed of a PIL after getting assurance from the state government regarding shelter homes for the homeless. They were to be ready by May last year.
During the hearing of the PIL in this regard filed by Khroolamsalanki Pariat, the affidavit by Joint Secretary, Urban Affairs Department revealed starting of the work for extension of night shelter home at the first floor of the Shillong Municipal Board.
Jowai and Tura Municipal Boards were also instructed to submit their proposals for basic amenities.
