Indore : Commuting on the streets, one comes across beggars found pleading for alms. Some feel pity for them while others are annoyed. To help them, the State Government came out with Madhya Pradesh Begging Prevention Act in 1973.
Under this act, the Social Justice Department runs a beggars home which is aimed at rehabilitating the beggars providing them vocational training and opening doors for a source of regular income for them.
Indore too has been running a Beggar’s Home in the premises of the Social Justice Department in Pardeshipura for over 33 years. The home is equipped with 10 staffers, one hall and 25 beds but there is scarcity of beggars.
A senior authority highlighting the loopholes in the Act said, “The Beggars Act should have drafted a bigger role for police in identifying the beggars in the city in order to make it a success.”
The Act, which has entitled the staff members of the Home to apprehend beggars pleading for alms, seeks cooperation of the local police in its drive to nab them.
But, it is rare only that such drives are carried out to nab the countless beggars roaming on the streets of the city. At present the home hosts 4 inmates, who were brought here only last week after the Home was left without any inmate for a very long time, claims a source close to the administration.
When asked about the number of drives carried out earlier by the officers of Beggars Home, Rajesh Mishra, Superintendent of the Beggars Home remained tight-lipped and pinned the blame on the unavailability of vehicle to go on the drive.
