Jeypore: Even as most parts of Koraput district including Jeypore is experiencing biting cold, there are still a number of people who are homeless and are being forced to stay outdoors in the night on footpaths and verandahs of shops and houses.
Locals alleged that these people are at the receiving end as there is no night shelter for the homeless in town. And the suffering of these people can hardly be felt by the so called administrative babus who, are well protected by the four walls of their houses.
Jeypore town is a top business centre in southern Odisha. In search of work people come to this town every day. Some are fortunate enough to get it and earn a comfortable living in rented houses. On the other hand, some fail to arrange a square meal for themselves, let alone living in rented houses.
Winter makes lives of those coming under the second category miserable. These people run after earning livelihood all through the day. And in nights, with no option left, they sleep on footpaths and verandahs.
Rajanahar square stall, government and private bus stands, Dhepaguda shops’ balconies, Gupteswar Complex and Bankamatha verandah has virtually turned into night shelter for the homeless.
The administration had expressed concern for these homeless people in municipality council meeting September 16, 2017. Soon after the meeting, it was decided that a night shelter home would be constructed at a cost of Rs 40 lakh on a patch of municipality land at Kundariguda near Jeypore Government Women’s College. But that has gone into cold storage.
MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati had also laid foundation stone August 31, 2018 for a night shelter home near Town Hall. Four months have passed since it happened but proper construction work is yet to begin. “We had floated a tender for the project. But no contractor did take part in the tender. As of now, a fresh tender has been floated,” said municipality executive officer Sanjay Acharya. However, he further informed that temporary night shelters have been functioning from Town Hall and Sarojini Bhawan.
When asked, Bahinipati said the fund provided has not been utilized for long. Foundation stone for the night shelter building was laid so that the municipality would feel honour bound to get the building constructed. But the work on this ambitious project is yet to take off, he added.
PNN