Curb begging, rehabilitate beggars, HC tells Tamil Nadu govt

MADURAI: Though the government is spending huge public money under various schemes to ensure that the needy get proper food, a large number of people are still indulging in begging using children as a shield for their activities, the Madras high has observed and asked the state to curb them.
Justice B Pugalendhi observed that the right to life and to live with dignity is guaranteed under the Constitution. Therefore, it is the duty of the state to ensure that all its citizens live with dignity.
The judge asked the state government allot either the department for differently-abled or social welfare specifically to ensure the strict implementation of the Beggars’ Rehabilitation Scheme and the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Begging Act, 1945.
The judge observed that begging is an offence as per the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Begging Act. Whoever is found begging shall be punished with up to six months of imprisonment. The legislature thought it fit to enact this law considering it as an offence and to prevent begging in this state. However, it has not been curtailed effectively as a large number of people are indulging in begging using children in traffic signals, temples, bus stands and also in trains.
The judge took note of a report which stated that a government care camp at Melpakkam in Chennai was established in 1954. It is one of its kind home run by the government with an objective to prevent begging and to rehabilitate the beggars as useful citizens by directing their energies towards learning useful trades to enhance their skills, so as to enable them to earn their livelihood independently.
The judge also took note of the fact that the home is presently in a dilapidated condition and unfit for accommodation of inmates. Since 2016, there was no conviction and no legally declared beggars to be accommodated as inmates.
“The central and the state governments are implementing various social security schemes, however, the scenario has not yet changed and the number of beggars are seemingly increasing. Even after 75 years of independence, we have not eradicated poverty totally,” observed the judge.
The court made these observations while hearing the bail petition of R Pandiyan, who was arrested by the Trichy district police in July on charges of kidnapping a child and involved in begging. Taking into account the fact that the petitioner is in judicial custody for over 100 days and that final report is yet to be filed, the court granted statutory bail to the petitioner by imposing certain conditions.