The proposed men’s accommodation as part of the ‘Ente Koodu’ project, which provides night shelter to destitute women, of the Department of Social Justice in Kozhikode will be functional in around six months. Special Officer of the project A.P. Abdul Kareem said the facility would come up near the facility for women, where the relief centre is located next to Kasaba Village Office in the city.
The department is now awaiting the Revenue Department’s approval to demolish the relief centre building and construct a new one there with dormitory, kitchen and bathrooms. There were also plans to get a building for rent to operate the facility temporarily, he said.
Many reject the offer
Meanwhile, the department is struggling to convince those living on the streets to use the facility for women. “There are many who immediately reject the offer because they are used to living on the streets. Then there are those with criminal background, who are agents of mafia. They just run away when they see the police and our volunteers,” Mr. Kareem said. He said only those who were forced to live on the streets because they lost their homes were willing to stay at ‘Ente Koodu’. Women who travel alone also found it safe, he added.
He said the department was in the process of giving identity cards to autorickshaw drivers and shopkeepers who help stranded people find ‘Ente Koodu’. They would be provided training to identify people who were really in need of a shelter, he said. With the opening of the men’s facility, women who have families with them would be able to come to the shelter, he said.
