NT Reporter
Panaji
Observing that despite directions from the Supreme Court nearly a decade ago and a state monitoring committee meeting held a year ago, Goa has made little progress in establishing halfway homes and long-stay homes for people with mental illness and homeless persons, the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) on Wednesday recommended that the state government urgently expedite the establishment of such facilities.
The GHRC also recommended appointing a nodal officer to constitute a committee comprising officials from relevant government departments, Goa State Mental Health Authority, NGOs, the complainant and the Disability Rights Association of Goa.
The proposed committee will be tasked with examining the need for framing rules under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, and recommending guidelines for funding NGOs that manage shelter homes. Additionally, the panel will formulate a comprehensive scheme for the rehabilitation and empowerment of homeless persons with mental illness, as well as the homeless population in general.
To support mentally ill homeless persons in the interim, the GHRC has called for immediate temporary measures until the permanent halfway and long-stay homes are established.
The GHRC has directed the state government to submit its comments and an action-taken report on these recommendations within 30 days, by August 12, 2026.
The inquiry arose from a complaint filed by Arturo Carlos D’Souza, who highlighted the lack of adequate infrastructure for persons with disabilities – particularly homeless individuals suffering from mental illness – and the financial hardships faced by NGOs operating mental health establishments and shelters due to delays in the release of government funds.
The GHRC heard all stakeholders, including government departments and the Disability Rights Association of Goa, before delivering its inquiry
report.
While the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities informed the GHRC that a monitoring committee had already been constituted and that the state was committed to complying with the Supreme Court’s directives in the Gaurav Kumar Bansal case, the GHRC noted that there has been virtually no tangible progress.
It observed that although a monitoring committee chaired by the Chief Secretary met on January 27, 2025, and proposals for a new halfway home at Chimbel were supposed to be prioritised, no progress has been made in respect to this for more than a year.
Referring to the apex court’s rulings, the GHRC said that states are legally bound to establish halfway homes for persons who have recovered from mental illness, individuals who no longer require institutional care and those who are homeless or have been abandoned by their families.
The GHRC said that mental illness is recognised as a disability under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, making rehabilitation primarily the responsibility of the state government, while financial support is also available under the Centre’s Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme.
Stressing that the existing gaps demand immediate intervention, the GHRC concluded that records clearly indicate a large number of homeless persons and individuals with mental illness in Goa are in urgent need of rehabilitation.
