Staff hired for group home in Chandigarh, says MHA

Staff for the newly constructed Group Home in Sector 31 has been recruited, the Union ministry of home affairs has informed the Parliament in response to a question by Chandigarh member of Parliament Manish Tewari.

The Group Home has been constructed for rehabilitation of mentally and intellectually disabled persons in line with Section 19 of Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, but remains non-operational.

Having 80 seats, and featuring spacious rooms, activity rooms and common areas, among other amenities, it is touted as the largest government-run facility of its kind in the country, set up after a sustained campaign by parents of prospective residents.

However, parents have raised concerns about the steep security deposit of ₹20 lakh and monthly charges for rooms, which range from ₹16,000 to ₹35,000.

“The advertisement for admission to Group Home has been issued on February 17 this year. The staff required at this stage has been recruited,” stated the ministry’s reply.

Tewari had specifically asked whether the government was aware that the newly constructed Group Home remained non-operational despite being completed. The query also sought to know whether the government had set a timeline for recruiting staff and vocational instructors for the facility, and whether the government had received any representations from affected families regarding the stay.

Tewari claimed that because of the very high security charges and excessive monthly fees that people of poor, lower middle class and even middle-class families could not afford the facility. The MP said he had written to the Chandigarh administrator to rationalise the rates.