New Delhi: The relief camps set up by the Delhi government for rehabilitating the victims of the devastating riots that ravaged North-east part of the national capital were largely desolate on Saturday as only a handful of displaced people took shelter there.
On Friday, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government, at a press conference, had announced its decision to convert 11 shelter homes into rehabilitation camps but was met with a tepid response. The government said it will start disbursing Rs 25,000 ex-gratia compensation to the people affected by the riots Saturday onwards.
So far, not one family has moved into any of these designated camps.
For these camps, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DSUIB) collaborated with NGOs like Sadik Masih Medical Social Servant Society, Society For Promotion Of Youth And Masses (SPYM) to provide food. The Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) will provide clothes and other amenities.
Vinay Kumar Stephen, the General Secretary of Sadik Masih Medical Social Servant Society, which is heading most of the shelter homes in Delhi, said “We are all ready to serve the riots-affected people. In each shelter home, around 50 people can be accommodated easily. For now, nobody is staying at the shelter homes but there were some people, who came to take the shelter in the relief camps and later went with their relatives and some went back to their homes.”
To accommodate riots victims, the occupiers of the shelter homes have been shifted to other places to make space for the displaced people.
“We are making announcements in the hospital, where most of the people affected by the riots got admitted. We have also put huge banners outside the shelter homes,” Stephen said.
Delhi government, in collaboration with the NGOs, is trying to spread the message across riot-hit regions that victims can take shelter in these camps, which are being manned by private security guards, for as long as they want and will be provided with food and other basic amenities.
Besides, the DSUIB has written to the Police Headquarters for deploying security personnel in that area and have also spoken to the SHO, said Stephen.
At a shelter home in Shastri Park, there is not one soul except the caretaker, Idrees Ahmad. “The priority should be given to the affected people instead of those who generally seek shelter here,” Ahmad said.
Meanwhile, in New Usmanpur, there are two separate shelter homes for men and women. So far, no one has come to stay, said Mohammed Danish, the caretaker of the camp, adding that it has a capacity to accommodate around 50 men and women each.
The Seelampur Kabadi Market shelter home is the only camp meant to house families. It, too, can hold 50 men and women each. Care taker Mohammed Rafiq said, “On the night of February 27, there were some people who came to stay at the shelter home and they belong to the Ghonda area. They didn’t go to their homes because of the tensed atmosphere in the area. The next day they left the shelter home.”
Aman Committee Member, Akil Malik said, “Proper police protection should be provided to shelter homes for their safety.
Meanwhile, Qari Ahrar, a resident of Old Mustafabad, said “People from riots-affected areas, majorly from Shiv Vihar, are coming for shelter. They are not aware of the relief camps organised by Delhi government. The government should work properly to inform people about the relief camps in the nearby areas.”
North-east Delhi’s Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Yamuna Vihar, Chand Bagh, Mustafabad, Bhajanpura and Shiv Vihar are among the areas worst hit by the communal violence that left 42 dead and hundreds grievously injured.
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