Mangalore, September 26: A meeting was chaired at the DC office on September 25th, to discuss on the eradication of beggars as per the Anti-begging Act, the Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim has directed the police department, social welfare department and women and child welfare department to conduct a continual anti begging drive in the city. He said that, the drive has to be carried out along with NGOs.
NGO representatives complained on the difficulty in admitting street side beggars to the Rehabilitation Centre. A beggar can be admitted in the rehabilitation centre only after a police case is registered in the nearest police station, said Suresh Shetty from NGO union.
DC directed the registered NGOs that are working on the cause to register themselves with the Rehabilitation Centre in order to make the process of admitting beggars to the Beggars Rehabilitation Centre at Pachanady hassle-free. To make the drive an easier process, the DC said that he would issue an order to the beggars rehabilitation centre to compulsorily receive any beggar who is brought by the registered NGO.
Centre Superintendent Sharada said that a majority of beggars in the house were mentally challenged and they need treatment. The current staff at the centre is not equipped to do this and they can not handle such beggars. Several beggars need psychiatric intervention. The DC directed the centre to appoint a psychiatrist on a contract basis, who can visit and treat patients on a regular basis.
DMO at Wenlock Hospital Dr Rajeshwari revealed that there were 23 destitute admitted in Wenlock Hospital and requested to shift them to the Beggars Rehabilitation Centre. “There are a few destitute who walk out of the hospital in the morning and return to their bed in the evening in a drunken state. They create nuisance in the hospital and staff are unable manage them. They refused to be discharged,” she said.
Superintendent of Beggars Rehabilitation Centre said that with the total capacity being 150, the total number of inmates at present is 126 with 110 men and 16 women at the centre.
