City selected for pilot project on beggar rehabilitation

Hyderabad is one among 10 cities chosen by the Central government for a pilot project for rehabilitation of beggars.

Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment, R. Subramanyam, announced this at a stakeholders’ workshop towards a national campaign for comprehensive rehabilitation of beggars held in the city on Saturday.

In his address, Mr. Subramanyam observed that Hyderabad had earned the project through implementation of schemes such as double-bedroom housing and Annapurna.

“Successful implementation of these schemes has resulted in the Union government choosing the city for the pilot,” he said.

“The Centre will provide ₹10 crore for the project,” he said, and asked officials and stakeholders to prepare a city action plan that may be implemented from April this year.

He suggested deliberations among stakeholders over components such as moving the beggars away from crime and pity, providing shelter, access to medical services, and sustainable livelihoods to the homeless.

Joint secretary Radhika Chakravarthy spoke of the strategy formulated at the national level and underlined the need for convergence of all line departments. She suggested specialised activities for the disabled, senior citizens, and women and children involved in begging.

The city action plan should include survey and identification of beggars, mobilisation, establishment of shelter homes, and comprehensive resettlement. Health care, education to children, and skill development training to take up income generating activities should be incorporated into the resettlement scheme, she said.

Deputy Mayor Fasiuddin, while expressing concern over the problem of beggars in cities, informed that a total of 150 Annapurna centres across the city are providing meals at ₹5 every day.

Delivering the inaugural address, principal secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Arvind Kumar, remarked that treating beggary as an eyesore does not provide a solution. Assuring support from the State government for the programme, he urged the stakeholders to suggest viable economic options to uplift beggars.

Recalling the previous survey done in 2005-06 profiling beggars, and the subsequent initiatives post the formation of Telangana State towards making the city beggar-free, he said that the city has 17 shelter homes equipped with sufficient infrastructure to serve as short stay homes.

You have reached your limit for free articles this month.

Register to The Hindu for free and get unlimited access for 30 days.

Subscription Benefits Include

Today’s Paper

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day’s newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Unlimited Access

Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.

Personalised recommendations

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Faster pages

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

Dashboard

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

Briefing

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

Not convinced? Know why you should pay for news.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.

[ad_2]

Source link

Leave a Comment