Four employees of the corporation look after the work including cooking food for the people living here.
Anchal Singh, Jammu. These days the cold in Jammu has broken the records of Srinagar. Amidst this freezing cold, some people are sleeping on the footpaths. Due to the administration not making arrangements to stay in free night shelters or to light bonfires in public places, the lives of these poor and destitute people are suffering in the open in the middle of winter.
The only night shelter remains in Boria area of Bahufort in Jammu. Dormitory halls are built in it. The fee for staying here is Rs 100 per night. For this reason, poor and helpless people sleeping on the footpaths hesitate to go there and sleep on the footpaths themselves. No such effective steps are taken by the administration or the police. Under which they should be picked up from the footpaths and kept at such a place.
These people sleeping on the footpaths are raising questions on the administrative system
Therefore, in the middle of winter, at some places, some people are seen sleeping on the footpaths at night. Although these people are poor and helpless. They survive by doing small jobs and begging. At a time when Jammu is experiencing bone-chilling cold these days. Even standing outside at night seems difficult.
Even in such a situation, many people are forced to sleep in open places, risking their lives. Under the cover of blankets, these people are raising questions on the administrative system at Jammu Railway Station, Bus Stand, under the flyover, around Gandhinagar and some public places.
The night shelter in Boria area was built in the year 2018. About two crore rupees were spent on its construction. It was constructed by Jammu Development Authority. Later it was handed over to Jammu Municipal Corporation. Now it works under the supervision of the corporation. Four employees of the corporation look after the work including cooking food for the people living here.
Night shelter became shelter house, destitute people are spending months instead of night
The night shelter built in Boria area of the city has now become a shelter house. Arrangements could not be made for those sleeping on footpaths to spend the night there. However, it remained a shelter house for such people who had no one to look after. At present about 40 people are living here. Most of these are such that no trace is known.
Some cannot hear and some are handicapped. There is no home to live in nor is there any support behind it. Therefore, the police and administration have made them residents of this night shelter. People have been living in night shelters for months. Eat and drink for free. However, the NGO which is looking after the night shelter management is making efforts to reunite these victims with their loved ones.
Night shelter with the help of charitable gentlemen
The night shelter, which has been built as a shelter house, is running on the mercy of charitable gentlemen. Only four people are paid salaries by the government. The NGO is raising the remaining expenses by contacting various donors and people. Tea is given twice and food is given three times daily. Most of the people here are helpless. There is no one coming here who comes or is brought to spend the night here instead of on the footpath. A managing committee has also been formed for the night shelter which oversees it.
no provision for lighting bonfires
In Jammu, no arrangement is made by the administration or the Municipal Corporation to light bonfires to protect the people who are forced to sleep on the footpaths from the cold. Sometimes, when someone dies of cold on the footpath, the police and administration become active and those sleeping on the footpath are chased away.
Some are sent to night shelters but no one likes to stay there. The reason is that under the rules of night shelter, one will have to pay Rs 100 to spend the night here, which is more in a city like Jammu because in different localities of the city, a good room can be found for Rs 3,000 a month. According to the corporation, such people are considered suspicious in view of the terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir. Therefore such a system does not exist here.
'Under the Rain Besra rules, arrangements were to be made to stay here only for spending the night. Nothing like this happened here. For months and years, people have been living here with no one behind them. His condition is so pathetic that he needs a caretaker all the time. Needs like eating, drinking, changing diapers etc. We are running only with the support of charitable gentlemen. It costs a lot. It is getting difficult. There is an appeal that people should come forward. Help such destitute people who have no one. There is no problem if the administration and police bring those sleeping on footpaths here. But they do not stay because these people are busy in work.
-Veena Bakshi, Manager, Night Basera, Boria
'Where is the night shelter now? This shelter house has been built. It is a bad condition. Helpless and homeless people are helpless here. No one can hear, no one has an arm, no one can walk. Cannot work. The NGO provides them treatment. Then efforts are made to reunite them with their family members. Keep in touch with different states. In four years, around 50 people have been reunited with their loved ones. Where are people sleeping on footpaths coming into this? If ever the police or administration leaves someone, he does not come back after spending the night.
-Sham Lal Bassan, Managing Committee Member and Former Corporator
what do officials say
‘Sleeping on footpaths is not allowed in Jammu. Shelter house has been built in Bahufort. Can live there. Police and administration keep taking strict action against them. The situation in the state is not like other states. In view of terrorist activities, such wanderers are considered suspicious. Therefore, there is no arrangement like bonfire. However, whenever a large number of passengers get stranded without any help, arrangements are made. There is no separate arrangement for lighting bonfires anywhere.
- Dr. Devansh Yadav, Corporation Commissioner and CEO Jammu Smart City Limited