The Supreme Court stated that a beggars’ home run by the state is not a matter of discretionary charity, and its management should embody the principles of constitutional morality. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan mandated that all states and Union Territories implement reforms in beggars’ homes and similar institutions to ensure that the constitutional right to live with dignity is effectively upheld for this vulnerable population. The Court emphasized that failing to provide humane conditions in such facilities is not merely poor administration but a violation of the fundamental right to a dignified life.
The justices articulated that the state’s duty towards impoverished individuals is affirmative and non-negotiable, defining a beggars’ home as a constitutional trust rather than a charitable act. The administration should uphold values such as liberty, privacy, bodily autonomy, and dignified living conditions. Furthermore, the Court mandated that every person admitted to a beggars’ home must receive a medical screening by a qualified officer within 24 hours. Monthly health evaluations are to be conducted by a designated medical team, and a disease surveillance system must be established at these facilities, with specific protocols for managing communicable and waterborne diseases.
The state governments and Union Territories are required to develop, announce, and strictly implement minimum hygiene and sanitation standards in beggars’ homes, ensuring continuous access to safe drinking water, functional toilets with proper drainage, and regular pest control measures. These directives came in response to an incident at a beggars’ home in Lampur, North Delhi, where contaminated water led to a cholera and gastroenteritis outbreak among residents. The Court also ordered that all state governments and Union Territories perform an independent third-party infrastructure audit of every beggars’ home at least every two years and that occupancy in these homes should not exceed their sanctioned capacity to prevent overcrowding and the spread of diseases.
