Delhi: Cops expand clean-Connaught Place drive, shift 50 homeless to shelters

NEW DELHI: After removing homeless and beggars from the Hanuman Mandir area in Connaught Place, Delhi Police has started the anti-encroachment drive near Gurdwara Bangla Sahib.
According to police, they want to remove encroachment from public place and also save homeless people from the bone-chilling cold. Since Tuesday, more than 50 people have been shifted to shelter homes.
“We found that they were addicted to drugs and cleanliness was another issue. Winter was also approaching,” an officer said. The cops said a few cases of street crimes had been reported from CP in the past two-three months. A few anti-social elements were living among the homeless people and committing crimes, an officer added.
Earlier, teams from the Connaught Place police station led by station house officer Upender Kumar shifted more than 300 beggars from the Hanuman Mandir area. On Tuesday, the drive started in the roundabouts of the gurdwara.
Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said they had rehabilitated a few homeless people with the help of NGOs. Another officer said a few beggars also volunteered to be shifted to nearby shelters.
Police have told people not to encourage begging and go to shelters if they wanted to distribute food. An officer said the beggars were being provided with essential items like food and blankets with the help of NGOs. “We are also trying to offer education to their children and impart vocational training to the homeless,” he added.
The cops are keeping a watch on the cleared areas so that the beggars couldn’t return to these places. “They have been living on the street for years and sometimes don’t want to leave it. So we have to counsel them with the help of NGOs,” an officer said.
The head priest of the gurdwara said they were happy with the police efforts and would help the homeless people at shelters live a dignified life.