The Delhi government today move the high court, seeking permission to shut temporary night shelters for homeless in the metropolis on the ground that it is losing over Rs one crore every month in their maintenance.

Filing an application before the division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, standing counsel (civil) Najmi Waziri said the government has to bear an expenditure of Rs 1.19 crore every month in maintaining the temporary shelters.

The lawyer submitted there are 84 such shelters being run by the government and the occupancy rate is presently very low in comparison to the occupancy rate during the winter.

Looking into the financial loss occurred every month, the counsel sought the bench to modify its earlier order directing the government to run the shelters for poor people.

Waziri accused the NGOs running them of having a vested interest in their continuance since they are paid Rs 30,000 per month from the government coffers to maintain these shelters.

Seeking permission to close the temporary shelters, the counsel submitted that the government is considering to set up requisite number of permanent shelters as per the Master Plan 2021. .