In Brief
The Supreme Court examined two writ petitions filed in 2003 concerning the right to shelter for homeless persons in urban areas. The Court found that despite the Union of India formulating the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) and releasing substantial funds to State Governments, the scheme's implementation had been ineffective. A Physical Verification Report by NALSA confirmed that shelter infrastructure remained inadequate across most States, with slow progress in construction and insufficient facilities. The Court observed that inadequate monitoring and evaluation of fund utilization had resulted in poor on-ground outcomes. To address this, the Court constituted an independent committee to verify shelter compliance with guidelines, investigate implementation delays and fund misutilization, and recommend immediate measures including temporary shelter provision during winter."
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