ORDER :

L. Nageswara Rao, J.

These two Writ Petitions concern the right to shelter of homeless persons in urban areas. These Writ Petitions were filed in the year 2003 but no effective orders could be passed till 2014 as all the States did not file their responses and status reports.

2. On 04.09.2014, Mr. Prashant Bhushan, Counsel for the Petitioners in Writ Petition No.572 of 2003, placed the “Scheme of Shelters for Urban Homeless”, issued by the Government of India, Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation before this Court. The said Scheme refers to the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM). The NULM was launched on 24.09.2013 to reduce the poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities through building strong grassroots level institutions for the poor which would result in an appreciable improvement in their livelihoods on a sustainable basis. The NULM Mission Document also states that providing shelters equipped with essential services to the urban homeless in a phased manner is a top priority. The location and design of shelters and the funding pattern of the Scheme of S