There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for the families that eke out a living by picking recyclable waste from garbage dumped at compost yards. The Kancheepuram Municipality decided to enrol them as beneficiaries of the Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) scheme.
A total of 75 persons from a dozen families and some individuals residing near the civic body’s compost yard at Thiruveethipallam were moved to the newly constructed building at Panchupettai in Big Kancheepuram area recently.
The shelter has been constructed at a cost of ₹50 lakh under the SUH scheme, wherein the operation and maintenance have been entrusted with a Dindigul-based NGO.
While the caretaker organisation has been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring common facilities, as well as provision of healthy and hygienic food at an affordable rate to the inmates, the civic body’s role would be to link them with Anganwadi, PHC, childcare facilities and other social assistance programmes.
The government will provide ₹9 lakh per year for five years to the caretaker for the operation and maintenance of the shelter.
During this period, the organisation should create a sufficient corpus fund for the smooth maintenance of the shelter.
Nominal charges
They may collect nominal charges as rent from the beneficiaries and also sell the food to the inmates.
They can also collect donations.
Apart from providing a conducive atmosphere for dignified living, the organisation should also conduct programmes to help the homeless take up activities other than rag picking for improving their economic status, sources added.
