More than 1,800 beggars identified in Vijayawada; 200 shifted to shelter homes
The Hindu
Ministry and NGOs in Vijayawada identify and rescue beggars, including children, to prevent begging and provide shelter.
Officials of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the NGOs has identified about 1,867 beggars, including a few children and women in Vijayawada, of whom 200 were sent to shelter homes in the last one year.
The beggars were seeking alms at traffic junctions, temples, jataras, bus and railway stations and other public places. Police and the vehicle riders said the beggars were creating nuisance at public places and some of them were behaving rudely with the passers-by.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in association with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) Health Care and Social Welfare Society has taken up a drive to prevent begging.
“We started the project christened as ‘Smile’ a year ago. The project was being implemented with the coordination of Social Welfare, Police, Women Development and Child Welfare, Child Welfare Committee, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation and other departments,” said Smile project director Anil Kumar.
“On Monday (January 27, 2025), we conducted a drive with the help of Police and other Department personnel and rescued eleven beggars, hailing from various places of Telangana State, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Rajamahendravaram, Vizianagaram and other places. They were shifted to the shelter homes run by our organisations,” Mr. Anil Kumar told The Hindu.
“Some beggars were addicted to alcohol and drugs and were resorting to petty crimes. Some children, who were rescued during the drives were produced before the Krishna Child Welfare Committee (CWC),” he said.
“The beggars were staying at bus stands and railway stations, abandoned sites and pavements during night hours. A few beggars were from broken families, specially challenged and run away from their families. We gave counselling to them and their family members and reunited some of them,” Mr. Anil Kumar said.
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