Delhi govt converts 11 schools into night shelters for migrant workers: Sisodia

The Delhi government has converted its eleven schools into night shelters in a bid to help migrant workers stay in the city during the lockdown period, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Monday.

The move comes in the wake of mass movement of migrant workers in big cities, including Delhi, to their home states after they were rendered jobless due to the lockdown that was imposed countrywide for checking the spread of coronavirus.

In addition to the existing 238 night shelters in the city, the Delhi government converted 11 schools into night shelters to help migrant workers.

"We have started night shelter facilities at two of our Delhi government schools near Ghazipur and Anand Vihar. We have made arrangements for food and accommodation for all those in need," he said on Twitter.

Sisodia appealed to the poor and migrant workers to utilise food and accommodation facilities provided by the Delhi government.

The classrooms of Government Boys Senior Secondary School, Ghazipur and Sarvodaya Co-ed Senior Secondary School, IP Extension have now been converted into sleeping rooms, said a Delhi government statement.

Rugs and blankets have been laid out on the floors of each room and provisions for food are also available, it said.

In the wake of the lockdown in the country, a large number of migrant workers had started leaving Delhi to head towards their homes in UP and Bihar, the statement said.

In an effort to accommodate more people and provide them with food, the Delhi government has converted 11 schools into night shelters, it said.

Classrooms and halls of these schools have been converted into sleeping rooms and the rooms have been properly disinfected and cleaned. The heads of schools are taking rounds and security guards have also been deployed, it said.

Provisions for meals, two times a day, have been made in each of these schools.

Social distancing is being taken seriously and one hall has not more than five occupants, the statement stated.

The government is also providing free food to four lakh needy people everyday at nearly 800 schools and night shelters, it added.