Delhi HC directs authorities to ensure food, water for homeless during lockdown

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed authorities to ensure that there is no dearth of food, potable water, electricity and other requirements of station in the area where the inhabitants of Yamuna Pushta have been relocated for the lockdown period to contain the spread of coronavirus.

In addition to that, the bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad also asked the authorities to continue performing necessary steps for those at the labour camp near Sarai Kale Khan.

The High Court was hearing a petition filed by Sunil Kumar Aledia, who said that thousands of homeless persons, daily wage workers, stranded and living in the open along the bank of river Yamuna, at Kashmere Gate, Delhi, are without any shelter, toilet or medical facility.

Aledia also raised issues on the payment demanded from users of public toilet facilities in and around the homeless shelters and slum clusters.

The petitioner said that thousands of construction workers of Shapoorji Pallonji Construction Company engaged in the construction work at Pragati Maidan are stranded without any proper provision for their food at the labour camp near Sarai Kaale Khan.

The counsel appearing for the company told the court that it is regularly releasing payments to all the sub-contractors.

The counsel also assured the court that the officers of the company shall follow up with the sub-contractors and ensure that if the salaries have not been released to the labour engaged by them, as contended, then the same is released forthwith.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain told a Division Bench that officers of the Labour Department, Delhi Government had inspected the camp and they are satisfied that it is being run smoothly.

Jain further stated that besides the contract labour of the sub-contractors working for the Company, six other camps are being run by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) in the same vicinity where the contract labourers and daily wagers are being supplied food and other facilities on a regular basis during the lockdown period.

"In view of the aforesaid submission, this court is satisfied that all the three issues raised in the present petition have been satisfactorily addressed by the concerned respondents and there is no reason to keep the matter pending," the court said.

( With inputs from ANI )

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