CHANDIGARH, March 18 — Staff for the newly built Group Home in Sector 31 has been recruited, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs informed Parliament in response to a query by Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari.
The Group Home, designed for the rehabilitation of mentally and intellectually disabled individuals under Section 19 of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, remains non-operational despite being completed. With 80 seats, spacious rooms, activity areas, and common spaces, it is considered the largest government-run facility of its kind in the country.
“The advertisement for admission to Group Home was issued on February 17 this year. The staff required at this stage has been recruited,” the ministry said.
Tewari had questioned why the facility remained shut and whether the government had set a timeline for hiring staff and vocational instructors. He also inquired if the government had received representations from affected families regarding the delay.
However, parents have raised concerns over the steep security deposit of ₹20 lakh and the monthly charges ranging from ₹16,000 to ₹35,000. Tewari claimed the fees were unaffordable for lower and middle-class families.
“I have written to the Chandigarh administrator, urging them to rationalise the rates so that more families can benefit,” Tewari said.
