The long wait for a State-run shelter for urban homeless including destitute persons is all set to end with a spacious building constructed for this purpose getting ready for inauguration.
The new building has been constructed along the bypass road here under the aegis of Khammam Municipal Corporation (KMC) with all requisite amenities to offer a comfortable and safe stay for the homeless persons. Built under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), the new building has the capacity to accommodate around 150 inmates, sources said.
It will be run under the supervision of an executive committee comprising officials of municipal administration and allied departments, elected representatives, representatives of civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations NGOs). The Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA), the State-run society, in association with an NGO has identified around 70 homeless including destitutes, migrant daily wage labourers, infirm and sick persons during a survey held in the KMC limits last month.
Rehabilitating inmates
Those identified are presently sheltered in a home run by a town-based NGO. Plans are afoot to shift all those rescued homeless persons to the State-run shelter after its inauguration on March 1. Minister for Municipal Administration K T Rama Rao is scheduled to inaugurate the new facility during his half-day visit to Khammam on Sunday.
Apart from offering safe and secure shelter to homeless persons, the new facility will also extend its services to properly rehabilitate the inmates and help them in accessing health, livelihood and social security schemes, said MEPMA District Mission Coordinator Sujatha. The shelter will be manned by a full-time manager and caregivers, she told The Hindu when contacted.
The new building has separate blocks for men and women inmates, she said, adding that consistent efforts will be made to rescue homeless persons from the streets and bring them to the shelter with the help of NGOs.
