MPHRC seeks report from chief secretary over Indore incident

Taking cognisance of officialsdumping homeless people outside Indore amid the biting cold,the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has soughta report from the state's chief secretary and senior officersof Indore, an official said on Monday.

Besides the chief secretary, MPHRC chairman JusticeNarendra Kumar Jain also sought a report in two weeks fromIndore divisional commissioner, district collector and IndoreMunicipal Corporation (IMC) chief, the MPHRC official said.

Indore is among 10 cities of the country selected forthe drive of rehabilitating beggars under the Centre's socialjustice department.

On Friday, a video on social media showed municipalworkers dumping some homeless elderly persons outside thecity, drawing a sharp criticism from various quarters.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded actionagainst IMC officials for ill-treating the homeless people.

''A case of abduction should be filed against IMCstaffers for forcibly taking these people away,'' MadhyaPradesh Congress media cell chairman and local MLA JituPatwari said.

He said this inhuman act was a blot on the IMC, andalleged that the civic body was trying to hush up the issue.

Patwari demanded that Chief Minister Shivraj SinghChouhan constitute an all-party committee to conduct a freeand fair investigation into the matter.

After facing flak over this incident, the localadministration has got into damage control by providing foodand shelter to such people, and has asked officials to treatthem with ''sensitivity and humanity''.

Food and bonfires are now being arranged in facilitieswhere homeless people are provided shelter at night, accordingto IMC officials.

Earlier, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday suspendedan IMC official in connection with the incident.

The civic body has also removed two temporaryemployees from the job.