Ghost employees, mismanagement, and criminal elements plague Delhi’s night shelters, Minister orders overhaul

Delhi’s Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood chaired a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat on Friday to discuss the management and operation of night shelters across the city. The meeting followed his surprise inspection of five night shelters in Sarai Kale Khan on Thursday, where he observed several shortcomings and called for immediate corrective action.

Senior officials from the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and all District Magistrates (DMs) of Delhi attended the meeting via video conferencing.

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During the meeting, the minister highlighted multiple issues affecting these shelters, including poor sanitation, water leakage, faulty electrical connections, lack of clean drinking water, absence of attendance registers, and cleaning being carried out by unauthorized personnel.

“There is an urgent need to address critical issues such as the presence of ghost (fake) employees, anti-social and criminal elements, mismanagement in shelter operations, and safety lapses—especially in women’s night shelters, which could lead to unfortunate incidents,” said Sood.

According to official documents, the minister directed District Magistrates to carry out regular inspections of the facilities. He emphasized the need for stronger coordination and cooperation between DMs and DUSIB officials to ensure the shelters function in a transparent, robust, and effective manner.

DUSIB officials informed the minister that an app-based system is being developed to monitor employee attendance and presence in the night shelters to address the identified challenges.

Sood also instructed DUSIB to ensure that inspections are conducted regularly by Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) under the supervision of DMs. A standardized inspection proforma will be circulated among all DMs to facilitate the time-bound resolution of issues. The inspection reports are to be submitted to both DUSIB and the Minister’s office.

Additionally, the minister directed authorities to conduct thorough background checks on shelter residents to prevent criminal activities. The statement also noted the possibility of organizing Aadhaar card registration camps in all districts to support safety and verification processes.