Rain Basera', the only shelter house for the homeless people in the State capital, is turning into a perfect place to rest for the retired IAS officers and gazetted officers who have been disowned by their families and relatives.
Manager of the Doon Shelters Society for the Homeless, Deepak Kukreti, said that more than a dozen retired gazetted officers, who have been rejected by their families come to stay in the shelter house, especially during the night.
They come here in order to find some peace and overcome the stressful situation they are suffering on daily basis.
However, the shelter house accommodates large number of deprived and homeless people from various parts of the State and outside as well. Around 120 destitutes visit the shelter on a daily basis.
Kukreti informed that the shelter is overcrowded most of the time. The average capacity of the shelter is only of 80-85 people, while the visitor numbers is much higher than this.
Managing staff of the Rain Basera claimed that no discrimination is being done with the homeless visitors and all the required facilities, including blanket, pillow, medicines and security are being provided to them. Medical facilities are also available for these destitute, averred Kukreti. He added that at present there are two security guards at the shelter house.
Contrary to this, the homeless and destitute who generally prefer staying on the roadside near Doon Hospital said that they are being ill-treated by the staff at the shelter house and are not allowed to enter there as they are poor and not well dressed.
Anand, a destitute hailing from Bihar said, "We don't prefer to stay in the shelter house as we are charged money."
The Rain Basera has only two halls which are meant only for destitute males while there is no arrangement for the female visitors in the shelter house.
Kukreti also added that government is hardly concerned about the basic facilities of the shelter house as no arrangement has been done for destitute females.
When asked about any plan to augment the number of shelter houses in the State capital, Mukhya
Nagar Adhikari at Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD), Ashok Kumar said that there is no such demand till date and new shelter house would be constructed only if any demand is submitted.