In a major step towards improving care for residents with intellectual disabilities, the Delhi government has approved the creation of 758 new positions within the Department of Social Welfare. These new roles are designed to bolster the management and day-to-day care provided at the city’s five dedicated residential facilities.
This significant initiative is set to enhance the quality of services, strengthen supervision, and ensure adequate staffing levels at government-run homes. Notable among these are the Asha Kiran Home Complex in Rohini and centers in Narela, Najafgarh, Jail Road, and Dallupura. An official circular detailed that the sanctioned posts include crucial positions such as two superintendents, 14 welfare officers, 16 matrons or house fathers/mothers, and a substantial 450 house aunties or caregivers.
Further strengthening the care infrastructure, the plan also includes 189 caretaker roles, 11 cooks, 40 kitchen helpers, and 11 washermen or washerwomen. To support the residents’ development and administrative functions, the department has also approved 12 vocational or craft instructor positions, four upper division clerks, and five lower division clerks.
This decision is anticipated to provide much-needed relief to the current staff who manage these homes, which collectively house hundreds of individuals with varying intellectual disabilities, including children. The facilities, such as the Asha Kiran Home Complex in Rohini (capacity 570), Asha Jyoti Home on Jail Road (capacity 120), Atal Asha Home in Narela (capacity 120), Asha Deep Home in Najafgarh (capacity 220), and Asha Kiran Home in Dallupura (capacity 54), will all benefit from the increased staffing.
An official emphasized the critical importance of adequate staffing for ensuring the safety, well-being, and rehabilitation of individuals with intellectual disabilities. This announcement comes in the wake of concerns raised about staff shortages and overcrowding at facilities like the Asha Kiran shelter home, which had led to deteriorating living conditions and prompted wider concern following the deaths of 14 residents in July 2024.