Nagpur: Night shelters provide skill development opportunities to homeless

Amid the nationwide lockdown caused due to the coronavirus pandemic, to ensure that the labourers and migrant workers can earn a livelihood once the lockdown is over, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has started an initiative to introduce skill-based training among beggars and the homeless in the city. 

Speaking to the media Tukaram Mundhe, Nagpur Municipal Cooperation Commissioner said, "After the lockdown was announced, we shifted the homeless and beggars to shelter homes and providing them with food, accommodation, and other facilities."

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With about 19 shelter homes around the cities accommodating close to 1,500-2,000 people, the commissioner said they are being provided with some skill development activities apart from having basic amenities. "We have also introduced skill development programmes for them. In the long run, we intend to take up the eradication of beggary program in Nagpur by providing them skills so that they can get employed," Mundhe said.

"We are also giving them a makeover as we are providing them skill-based training so that they can earn their livelihood once the lockdown ends," said Manish Soni, Public Relations Officer, NMC. 

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India extends lockdown 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3 in order to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus. He addressed the nation on April 14 as the ongoing pan-India lockdown entered its 21st day. In his address, the PM said that India is fighting against COVID-19 and it has been successful so far. He also said that compared to other nations, India has attempted to contain the pandemic quite efficiently.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2,916 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state, out of which 295 patients have recovered and 187 patients have succumbed to the virus.

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(with ANI inputs)