Efforts to make Indore free of beggars are being made under a pilot project by the Centre. (Representative)

Bhopal:

Indore, India’s cleanest city, which now aspires to be beggar-free, has decided to take extreme measures to ensure its streets are beggar-free. From January 1, the district administration will start registering FIRs against anyone giving money to beggars.

District Collector Ashish Singh told media that the administration has already issued an order banning begging in Indore. “Our awareness campaign against begging will continue till the end of this month. If a person is found giving alms from January 1, an FIR will also be registered against him,” he said. he declared. “I appeal to all people of Indore not to become partners in sin by giving alms to people,” the official added.

Efforts to make Indore’s streets free of beggars are being made under a central government pilot project to rehabilitate beggars. The project covers 10 cities: Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna and Ahmedabad.

During the anti-begging campaign, the Indore administration made some surprising revelations. Dinesh Mishra, project manager, said, “When we prepare reports, we find that some beggars have a pucca house and others’ children work in a bank. Once we found Rs 29,000 from a beggar. Another beggar lent money and charged interest. A gang has arrived. with children from Rajasthan to beg here. They were rescued from a hotel where they were staying.

Madhya Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Narayan Singh Kushwaha said an Indore-based organization had come forward to support the government in its efforts. “The organization will provide them with shelter for six months and try to find them work. We are working tirelessly to free people from begging,” he said.