Amid a hue and cry for sufficient availability of Covid-19 vaccines and hassle-free inoculation of all, the authorities seem to have forgotten about a vulnerable segment of population coming in the category of homeless, beggars, transgenders and the mentallyretarded.
While for vaccination, the beneficiaries have to produce documentsestablishing their identity including Aadhaar, voter’s card, PAN,ration card, driving licence, NREGS job card, bank pass book etc, thedestitute who have no hearth and home and are living primarily onpavements, under flyovers, near railway stations, bus stands,verandhas of shops and temples and also in shelter homes may not beable to produce any documents for identity and hence, these may wellbe bypassed for the vaccination. Especially, this hapless group of populace is found in the urbancentres, and in the capital city of Bhubaneswar, about 7,000 people inthe category are living. Has the Government thought of any plan toinclude them in the vaccination process?
These people are largely migrants from different parts of Odisha andoutside, who left their native places owing to various reasons likepoverty, unemployment and natural calamities. They have resorted tobegging, rag picking, hawking, small-time business and daily wagelabour for a living in the city.
They sleep under the open sky on roadsides braving harsh winter coldand rain. They have no way to escape the scorching summer heat either.Many of them often go without food and health check-ups. They areharassed by anti-socials and thugs while they are often scolded andthrashed by police for occupying public places. Persons from all agegroups, like children, youth, middle-aged and old are included in the group. Though the BMC has recently declared to make the Bhubaneswar city free of beggars and homeless, yet these people are omnipresent, be itaround proximity of a temple, bus and taxi stands, markets and majorsquares.
There are about eight shelter homes run by the BMC andseveral more by NGOs for the homeless, but a very meager percentage of the population is staying in those facilities.“The BMC has a role to play in identifying these people for vaccination on a priority basis as they are living under the mostwretched conditions; and hence, are prone to Corona infection more than anyone else. They should be given the jabs irrespective of whether they have the requisite documents to prove their identity or not,” said an activist here.