High Court seeks Delhi govt`s response on PIL seeking three meals a day for homeless

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday (May 7) issued a notice to Arvind Kejriwal government over a PIL that sought three meals a day and other basic necessities for the homeless in the national capital.

The plea was filed by Bandhua Mukti Morcha (BMM), a registered organization working for the marginalized people in the country.

It urged the high court to direct the Delhi government and the urban shelter improvement board, DUSIB, to provide three meals a day to the homeless in all the shelter homes.

Acting on the plea, a bench asked the Delhi government and DUSIB to file their response in the matter.

The organisation told the bench comprising Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh that the second wave of COVID-19 and the resultant curfew has hurt the workers who are unable to gain employment.

"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,” read the plea, PTI reported.

"In the shelter homes, people are reported to be sick. However, the isolation centres which were running in 2020 have been closed," it added.

The plea also demanded “soaps, detergents, hand sanitizers, hand wash and masks to urban homeless in all shelter homes in the national capital and also medical aid”.

Delhi government standing counsel Santosh K Tripathi told the court that the three meals a day scheme was discontinued last year itself and only two meals are being provided now.