ABDUL WAHAB KHAN | NT
PANAJI
The Goa State Urban Development Agency has directed municipalities to conduct a survey to identify the homeless and submit a report by April 15, as there has been absence of exact figures on these people living in urban areas.
All the 14 urban local bodies will now have to conduct the survey to identify the homeless including beggars, street children, the elderly, destitute women, mentally-ill and other sick people who live and sleep on streets and pavements of urban areas.
The findings of the survey will be used for implementing the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, which is aimed at provide housing for the homeless by 2022.
The yojana is an important step in recognising that homeless people are a segment of the working poor who deserve access to the social protection system.
As a requirement of the yojana, the urban local bodies will carry out the survey at night from 8 pm onwards to identify homeless people seeking details on their present living condition, access to toilets, family background, age, native place and criminal background, if any.
The survey will attempt to provide an insight into the vulnerability of homeless children.
The yojana says the civic bodies will have permanent shelters with essential services.
A meeting of GSUDA officials and chief officers of all civic bodies was held at the secretariat recently.
Urban local bodies were directed to identify the homeless living within their jurisdiction and submit a report by April 15.
The possibility to upkeep and construct new shelters was also discussed.
The survey will be carried out at footpaths, underbridges, cinema theatres, beaches, roads, religious places, bus stations, railway stations, markets, gardens and other public places.
The survey aims to look at the need of strategically locating shelters in the areas where homeless people live.
A GSUDA official said the urban local bodies have been told that permanent shelters would be constructed factoring in findings of the survey.
The state government has 33 permanent shelters which are maintained by the IPA (Provedoria). These homes have the capacity to shelter 2180 homeless people.
At present, 1504 homeless people live in these homes.