The district authorities of Indore in Madhya Pradesh announced on Monday that the administration will begin filing FIRs from January 1, 2025, against those who give alms in order to make the city free of beggars.
Talking to news agency PTI, district collector Ashish Singh claimed that the administration has already issued an order banning begging in Indore. "Our awareness campaign against begging will go on in the city till the end of this month (December). If any person is found giving alms from January 1, a First Information Report (FIR) will also be registered against him/her," he said.
"I appeal to all residents of Indore not to become partners in the sin by giving alms to people," the official said. In recent months, the district administration has exposed several gangs making people beg and many of those involved in begging have also been rehabilitated, he added.
Indore-Based Organisation Come Forward To Support
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a pilot project aiming to make 10 cities, including Indore, free from begging. The other cities in the initiative are Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, and Ahmedabad.
According to a report by NDTV, Project Officer Dinesh Mishra said, "When we prepare reports, we find some beggars have a pucca house, and others' children work in a bank. Once we found Rs 29,000 on a beggar. Another beggar loaned money and claimed interest. One gang came with children from Rajasthan to beg here. They were rescued from a hotel where they were staying."