No Aadhaar card? No entry for homeless at night shelters in Gurgaon

At a few night shelters in Gurgaon, this was a common complaint — that entry was only for those with Aadhaar cards.

Dheeraj, who mans the porta cabin, initially said entry was denied due to paucity of space. Sitting along with three homeless men in the small cabin, that has enough space for around 10 people, he later said the family didn’t have ID proof. “They do not have an Aadhaar card,” he said.

The MCG runs four shelters at Bhim Nagar, Kadipur, Kanhai, and Badshahpur and three porta cabins at Sohna Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, and the railway station in Old Gurgaon.

The Indian Express visited the facilities at Kadipur and Bhim Nagar, both boasting of adequate space, to ascertain if anyone was being denied entry. Both shelters had registers with details of all those seeking shelter — their names, emergency phone number, entry and exit timings as well as their Aadhaar card number.

Deshraj Verma, who manages the Bhim Nagar shelter, said around 15 people come every night. The shelter has bedding and blankets without cots, four toilets, a bathroom, and a separate wing for women.

On how people are permitted to sleep at the shelter, Verma said most people have Aadhaar cards. “Most occupants are labourers seeking a roof at night and have ID proof. Sometimes, when someone says they don’t have one, we ask for a house number or their phone number. When they cannot produce any, we send them to Sheetla Mata Mandir,” he said.

The temple, situated around 2 km away, does not have any facilities for the homeless. The next nearest shelter is a porta cabin at the railway station.

Verma, however, said they let in most people: “We inspect their mannerisms and if they look harmless, we let them in.”

He also said there has been a decrease in the number of people seeking shelter — while there were around 35 people per night last year, the number has not crossed 18 this year even on peak winter nights.

At the Kadipur facility in Sector 10, two men were at the shelter when The Indian Express visited. A staffer, Prakash Kumar, also kept a register to note down details. “We ask them for their Aadhaar card, and most have it. So far, we have not turned anyone away… if someone comes without ID proof, we take their photo and ask our senior officials what is to be done,” he said.

The facility had one room open while another, earmarked for women, was closed. Staff said women did not visit the shelter at all. The facility had an unclean toilet with four urinals and two bathrooms.

When asked if Aadhaar was mandatory, Lakhiram Sharma, assistant project officer at MCG, said it was not. “No shelter turns away people if they cannot produce an Aadhaar card, it is just a method to maintain a registry. Names and phone numbers are necessary in all shelters and we don’t deny any amenities to anyone. We provide blankets, first-aid, and toilet facilities; in the case of porta cabins, there are public toilets near these facilities,” he said.

On if people were denied entry at the Sohna Chowk shelter, Sharma said only those who might be drinking would be turned away as they could create a nuisance for other occupants and women. “The reason for denying admission is due to the question of security and not because they don’t have ID proof,” he maintained. He added that homeless people in the area lived in tents and did not need the cabin for shelter.