Why Lucknow is not a place for poor homeless: pictures tell the story 

Lucknow: The rhetoric of Akhilesh Yadav government ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls may be order of the day but the sad fact remains that in the state capital, hundreds of poor persons have been rendered shelter-less shivering in the biting cold. One stray incident when a speeding car driven by a drunk rammed into a night shelter killing five prompted Lucknow district administration to remove many shelters.

The insensitive face of Lucknow administration came to fore even as the Chief Minister has been busy listing his achievements without realising the woes of the poor with hardly arrangements of shelters, bonfires and blankets for them. Ironically, in one accident case, the capital police filed FIR against the NGO which had erected the shelter.

It is seen to be believed that poor people are condemned to spend nights in the open, in the parks, on the footpaths and streets. This, of course, is election time for you when the government and the officials have no time for the poor.

When District magistrate of Lucknow Satyendra Singh was contacted by www.newstrack.com, he said there were 23 night shelters but was unable to specify their locations. Quick to pass on the buck to Nagar Nigam, he was clueless as how and why the shelters were removed leaving homeless in the lurch.

What else DM said?

• Sometimes, it becomes difficult as shelters are placed far away from people.
• Government has directed Nagar Nigam to place more shelters.
• If any social community wants to place shelters, they have to take permission from government.
• In order to avoid accidents, shelters should be placed away from the roads.
• The inadequacies in this regard are being addressed.

Sadly, the Lucknow DM had no reply as to why prior arrangements were not made and there is no existing mechanism for poor when the cold wave conditions prevailed. He was also non-committal as to who is accountable for lack of bonfires at the streets.

Here are few other pics in sliders: