Rise in number of beggars in South Goa

The district, which has seen 394 cases in the last three years, lacks a remand home

Margao: In the absence of a remand home for beggars, the South Goa district has seen a steady increase in the number of begging cases even as a large number of such cases go unreported due to limitations in law.

Despite the Goa government declaring that there are no beggars in the state, South Goa has seen 394 cases of begging in the last three years.

Interestingly, since January this year, Vasco police has registered 30 cases of begging compared to 37 cases registered in the whole of 2022. Moreover, the Margao police has registered 21 cases since January this year as against 52 cases registered in the last year.

A highly placed official in Goa police informed that the beggars seen in the cities are only the tip of the iceberg and that begging is an organised network with even children being forced into it. He, however, said police action is limited due to certain provisions in law.

Once detained, beggars have to be produced before a court, which imposes a fine and they are then set free, said the official. He said the police cannot take them into custody, nor is there a shelter in the district, as the government has declared that there are no beggars in the state.

The official said that post COVID-19, the number of beggars on the streets has increased. He said they usually enter the state by way of trains and added that they find it relatively easygoing here with a steady flow of income. If their eviction is possible, the police could even get to the bottom of the organised begging, said the official.

The number of beggars usually increases during feasts and fairs while a large number of them is usually spotted at signals in the state.

The official said that since 2020, the Margao police station itself has registered 185 cases, while the Vasco police has registered 146 cases of begging in the last three years.