HYDERABAD: The Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) has been finding it difficult to run shelter homes for the homeless across State due to financial constraints. It has decided to approach business establishments and corporate companies and get their support to run these shelter homes.
Nearly 40 shelter homes have been functioning in the State including a dozen in the twin cities maintained by the GHMC. Due to financial constraints, operation and maintenance of these shelter homes have become a burden for urban local bodies (ULBs).
For sustaining these shelters, MEPMA director has directed urban community development wing of the GHMC and project directors of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM) to approach corporates and get their support in running the shelter homes and to make them self-sustainable. Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) is being implemented as a component of DAY NULM which is a Centrally sponsored scheme.
The funds for SUH are provided not only for construction and refurbishment of shelters but also for their operation and management. Since construction and operation of shelters is capital- intensive, the operational guidelines of SUH state that states can construct shelters with CSR support and other donations.
Further, the Centre provides funds for maintenance of these shelters for a period of five years and thereafter, the states have to find a way out for maintaining them. Following a request by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the Ministry of Corporate Affairs included a schedule stating that support to these shelters for urban homeless would come under CSR.
MEPMA pulls out all the stops
For sustaining the shelters, MEPMA has directed urban community development wing of GHMC and project directors of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission to approach corporates and get their support in running the shelter homes