Delhi’s Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, in view of the corruption and mismanagement happening in the night shelters due to the collusion between the previous Aam Aadmi Party government and NGOs, conducted a surprise inspection today of five night shelters at Sarai Kale Khan. During the inspection, Minister also found many kinds of shortcomings in all five night shelters. Minister sternly reprimanded DUSIB and the NGOs operating them and warned that such negligence and corruption will not be tolerated. He also instructed that responsibility of DUSIB officers be fixed.
After the inspection, the Minister informed that the Delhi government had been receiving continuous complaints for a long time regarding the arrangements and management of night shelters through letters and people’s memorandums, that during the tenure of the previous government a huge scam and corruption is being done in these night shelters in collusion with NGOs.
He also said that he was informed that the previous government had appointed hundreds of people for the supervision of these night shelters. We are receiving complaints that neither have that many people been appointed in these night shelters nor are the people living there being provided with basic facilities. Corrupt leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party government, along with NGOs acting on their directions and officials, are committing large-scale fraud in Delhi’s night shelters.
He informed that in the night shelters that were inspected today, attendance registers were not found anywhere. Poor laborers who are living here are being exploited by being made to work by cleaning staff or management here for ₹5,000 to ₹6,000, and in return, lakhs of rupees are being recovered from the government. We will get this investigated by vigilance, and if needed, also by the CBI.
Sood said that the government will not remain silent against this corruption being done to these poor people, to whom providing shelter and serving them is our duty as a government.
He further said that we had warned NGOs operating the night shelters and the people associated with the corrupt leaders of the previous government many times to improve the arrangements of these night shelters in time, otherwise the government would have to take strict action against you. But now I think the time has come for a serious investigation, and if needed, an investigation will be conducted by the CBI too, and whoever has been involved in this corruption since the time of the previous government – whether it is a leader, the NGO associated with them, or any government official – whoever has eaten the public money of these poor and helpless people, will have to return it.
He also said that under the leadership of Chief Minister of Delhi Rekha Gupta, the Delhi Government is committed to not only providing shelter to all helpless people in Delhi but also to provide essential basic facilities for livelihood. We will visit these night shelters from time to time, and the facilities being provided here will also be checked. He directed the agency operating the night shelters to fulfill all standards of quality, otherwise strict action will be taken against them.
The people living in the night shelters told the Hon’ble Minister that some people are spreading rumors here that these night shelters will be demolished soon and all of you will be sent to live homeless on the street. The Hon’ble Minister assured all the people living in those night shelters that he will not allow any demolition action to take place, and at the same time, he directed the police to take strict legal action against those who spread such rumors.
