Efforts on to ensure night shelters for all: Naidu

The central government is making efforts to ensure night shelters for all homeless people, specially those who have migrated to urban areas in search of work, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said Wednesday.

"The urban development ministry held a meeting in November with all state chief secretaries in the matter," he informed the Lok Sabha during question hour.

Naidu said that though providing shelters is the prerogative of the state governments, the central government stepped in after directions from the Supreme Court for it.

"We support the scheme to have night shelters as part of the National Urban Livelihood Mission," he said.

The central government is also funding this scheme, the minister said, adding that efforts have also been made to rope in some NGOs and government land is being leased out for making such shelters.

He said that migration from rural to urban areas is taking place in the country on a large scale as health and education facilities are unavailable in villages.

Naidu also said that the government has firmed up a new housing plan which will be presented before the cabinet soon.