Mumbai: BMC plans to set up skill centre to train homeless, make them self-reliant

IN ORDER to help the homeless population in the city to get into the mainstream, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to set up a skill centre where they will be trained and made self-reliant. The civic body’s announcement came a day before ‘World Homeless Day’, which is observed on October 10.

Officials from the planning department said that they have identified a place in Mahul where the centre will be set up. “In MHADA Colony, 224 rooms have been arranged where 1,500 homeless can be accommodated. In the colony, there will only be skill centres to train these people so that they can be made self-employed,” said Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, Planning Department, in a statement issued on Saturday.

The corporation has also launched a helpline number for the homeless. Also, a survey will be conducted to frame a policy for empowerment of them.

Currently, while there are 12 shelter homes for adults with 239 people, 11 shelter homes are for people below 18 years old with 488 occupants. The BMC has said that they are going to start four new shelter homes at Chandivali, Dahisar, Andheri and Govandi.