Night shelter in Sirhind fails to serve purpose as many unaware of facility

Surinder Bhardwaj

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Fatehgarh Sahib, November 27

The Sirhind-Fatehgarh Sahib Municipal Council (MC) has constructed night shelter with all sort of facilities for the convenience of the needy and deputed eight member staff for its maintenance. But the needy people are not aware about the night shelter due to lack of its publicity.

The building was constructed in 2017 by the MC. Only few hundred people have stayed here during the past six years. The night shelter has failed to serve the needy in the real sense as officials choose a wrong site for its construction in the remote Humayunpur area of Sirhind. It is quite far from gurdwaras, railway station and bus stands.

“The MC pays salary to the staff through a contractor on the DC rates. The civic body started renovation of the night shelter recently. Hardly anyone stays here as the facility is located in a remote area,” said Ashok Sood, MC president.

Jasandeep Singh, manager of the night shelter, said, “Eight employees have been deployed for the maintenance of the night shelter. The facility has two separate halls to accommodate men and women. There are 50 beds with proper bedding, blankets, quilts, room heaters, toilets and bathrooms with the facility of hot water in the shelter.”

He said, “We visit railway stations, bus stands and gurdwaras to shift people, who sleep on roads, to the night shelter, but they prefer to stay there. We also arrange transport for them to bring them to the shelter. As winter has begun, the occupancy at the shelter would increase.”

Residents say they rarely saw people staying at the shelter. They say it seems to be a formality.