The Delhi government’s vigilance department will investigate corruption in the management of night shelters in hte Capital, urban development minister Ashish Sood said after inspecting five night shelters where he identified several shortcomings.

Sood alleged that night shelter management suffered under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) due to “collusion with NGOs.”

“The Delhi government was getting complaints for a long time regarding the management of night shelters. In the previous government’s tenure, there was a large huge scam and corruption in connection with these night shelters in collusion with NGOs. I have been informed that the previous government appointed hundreds of people to supervise these night shelters. But we got complaints that neither were that many people appointed nor were the inmates being provided with basic facilities. Corrupt leaders of the AAP government, along with NGOs acting on their directions and officials, committed large-scale fraud in Delhi’s night shelters,” Sood said after inspecting shelters at Sarai Kale Khan.

Delhi has 325 night shelters managed by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), a government agency, through NGOs engaged by the agency. The shelters have a capacity of 19,794 inmates but the current occupancy of these shelters is very low. On June 25, only 5,311 stayed in these night shelters, according to a DUSIB official.

In his inspection, Sood found that attendance registers were not kept and maintained. “Poor labourers who are living here are being exploited by being made to work by cleaning staff or management here for ₹5,000 to ₹6,000, and in return, lakhs of rupees are being recovered from the government. We will get this investigated by vigilance, and if needed, also by the Central Bureau of Investigation,” said Sood.

Sood said he found several shortcomings in sanitation and maintenance. Sood also said that a group of inmates told him about rumours that night shelters will be demolished soon. Sood said that no demolition will take place. “We will not allow any demolition action to take place. I have directed the police to take strict legal action against those who spread such rumours,” said Sood.