Top police officials in Guwahati got engaged into a late-night rehabilitation drive on Tuesday in a bid to shift the homeless people living under a flyover in the Ulubari area of Guwahati to safe shelters..
The move came following an order issued by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in which he directed officials to provide accommodation and income opportunities to those seen living with their families under the flyover.
It has been reported that Kamrup (Metro) Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha visited the Ulubari area and personally monitored the rehabilitation drive.
A video shared by news agency ANI showed officials meeting homeless people and shifting them to shelter homes.
#WATCH | Following the directives of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kamrup (Metro) Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha visited the Ulubari area in Guwahati tonight and conducted a drive to remove beggars from the flyover there. The beggars are being removed from the flyover and… pic.twitter.com/OUfsRp35jc
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2023
Previously, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also asked DC Guwahati to ensure immediate accommodation and income opportunities to those weho were seen living under the flyovers as it is fatal to live that way, specially with 2-3 children.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has earlier asked DC Guwahati if a family he (CM) sees at night is still staying under a flyover in Ulubari. CM had directed DC to provide immediate accommodation and income opportunities for that family as it is fatal to live on the road since they… https://t.co/18b5mVlQPWpic.twitter.com/Tfo3T2kGpZ
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2023
As per media reports, Pallav Gopal Jha said the number of homeless people and street-dwellers has increased considerably in the last three to four months in Guwahati.
"A new problem has been developing in Guwahati for the last 3-4 months. The number of beggars and street-dwellers has increased considerably. That poses a challenge of different sorts. We are conducting a drive to send them to govt shelter homes and NGOs. We are trying to understand why they are outside on the streets," Jha said.
He also said that CM Himanta Biswa Sarma keeps visiting Guwahati at night to see the issues the city faces.
