Introduction
The Delhi High Court took suo motu notice of claims that a shelter for single homeless women in the capital had run out of food and that its residents were now being driven to begging on the streets. It was reported that 60 homeless single women are living in the shelter, including elderly and disabled persons, as well as 17 kids. The Delhi Urban Facility Improvement Board (DUSIB) oversees the facility.
Analysis of court order
The matter was taken under consideration by a division bench that included Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, Justice Subramonium Prasad, and Justice C. Hari Shankar. The court’s bench said that the Delhi government must make sure that the shelter receives food and must not stop providing it without the court’s approval.
The bench emphasized that the Government provides meals to all overnight shelters. The practice of delivering food to all-night shelters, including the one that is the focus of the current PIL, is directed to continue, and it must not be stopped without the court’s permission, the court stated. The bench also stated that Akshaya Patra Foundation, which previously provided meals to all-night shelters, will continue to do so, as well as that the same payment method that was previously in place will be maintained.