Angul: To provide relief to the homeless in this town, construction of a shelter home was started in 2018. However, till date the building has not been completed and is yet to cater to the needs of the destitute. Lack of funds is stated to be the reason for suspension of work.
Towards the end 2018 the Odisha government introduced ‘Shelter for Urban Homeless’ (SUH) yojana in Angul district. The cost of the project was estimated to be Rs 42 lakh.
Construction of the building started and the deadline for the home to become functional was set for May, 2019. More than a year has gone by since the deadline and yet construction is yet to be completed. Once functional, the home can provide shelter to at least 50 people.
Angul Municipality officials pointed out that lack of funds has disrupted the flow of development. They said that only when funds are available the other works associated with the building will be completed. The building is yet to get a whitewash. Power and water connections for the building are yet to be set up. Also furniture for the inmates hasn’t been bought.
Once the facility gets ready for use, a self help group (SHG) will be entrusted the job of running the facility on a contractual basis.
When asked, Angul Municipality executive officer, Binod Chandra Panda said work got delayed due to some financial issues. However, he assured that the shelter home will be ready before winter.
PNN