State cannot provide everything to homeless: Bombay HC – Times of India

MUMBAI: The state cannot provide everything to the homeless, observed Bombay high court on Saturday while hearing a PIL for continuing reliefs for them as was provided during the last lockdown.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni heard a PIL by Brijesh Arya, a member of Homeless Collective – a forum of organisations working with the homeless in Mumbai – that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should continue the relief of food, potable water and free access to public toilets.
At a previous hearing, the BMC was asked to inform in what manner shelters would be made available to the homeless as directed in another PIL.
The State’s advocate said that Arya is a member of the monitoring committee and has access to information about the shelters. The judges asked whether the home shelter scheme provides that “they (homeless) should also work for the country.”
“It cannot be that after getting shelter they will loiter about. Everybody is working for a livelihood. Everything cannot be provided by the government,” said Justice Kulkarni.
Arya’s advocate Kranti LC said that once the homeless are put into shelters, it would facilitate employment schemes for them. “Only then will they work? You are encouraging the population of these persons,” said Justice Kulkarni.
The judges disposed of the PIL noting that the State and BMC with the help of NGOs are taking steps within their capacity to provide food, water, sanitary napkins among other things to the homeless and no further directions are required to augment the distribution.
They directed that public toilets be made available to the homeless free of charge.