Beggars May Soon Vanish From Bhubaneswar Streets!

Bhubaneswar: More than 20 homeless beggars were rescued from Unit-1 Market, Capital Hospital, Lingaraj Temple, AG Square and Ram Mandir areas and rehabilitated at the shelters for urban homeless ‘SUH’ by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday.

The drive is being conducted by the civic body in collaboration with the Comissionerate Police and three NGOs to make the city beggar-free.

Additional Commissioner, BMC, Laxmikant Sethy told the media that the beggar rehabilitation programme is aimed at ensuring that no one has to sit with a begging bowl by the side of roads here. “It will be a continuous process till we rid the city of beggars. Those rescued will be provided with cooked food and basic amenities and imparted vocational training so that they can be self-reliant. Efforts will also be made to integrate them with their family,” he said.

Since nomads move in groups, the BMC has taken the help of Commissionerate Police to shift them to rehabilitation centres, he added.

Earlier on June 26, beggars were rescued from the Master Canteen area, Ram Mandira area and Rajmahal area. They will stay with other inmates at SUH as a family, it had tweeted.

There are eight SUHs with an inmate capacity of 368 while a rehabilitation centre for specially-abled beggars with an inmate capacity of 100 is in operation since May 5.

Two rehabilitation centres are also in operation for the elderly, women and child beggars with a capacity of 100, it added.

In December last year, the BMC and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) had initiated the process in ‘Ekamra Kshetra’, to rid the areas of beggars and facilitate beautification and developmental work under Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monumental Revival Action (EKAMRA) Plan.