Indore Will Lodge FIR Against People Giving Alms To Beggars From This Date
Indore, Madhya Pradesh: In a serious move to make Indore beggar-free, district administration on Monday (December 16) announced that FIRs will register against individuals from January 1, 2025 for giving alms.
District Collector Ashish Singh told reporters that administration has already issued an order banning begging in Indore.
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Our awareness campaign against begging will continue until 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. He has also urged all residents of Indore not to be become “partners in the sin by giving alms to people.”
At first, the order was implemented for child beggars only. The administration has announced that giving alms or buying goods from children an offence. Now, this order extended to elders as well.
Singh stated that district authorities has exposed several gangs who have been exploiting people through begging and many individuals involved in the practice were rehabilitated.
The district administration hope that by discouraging giving money, it will aid to break the begging cycle. They are trying to ensure that beggars find other ways for their self-sustenance. The authorities have already adopted measures to rescue child beggars and place them in government shelters. Over 35 children have been rescued since July, the Economic Times reports.
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Indore is a part of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s pilot project to make 10 cities of the country beggar-free. The SMILE project (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise), launched by the Union Ministry aims to make cities beggar-free by providing long-term solutions. The programmme focuses on their rehabilitation by giving medical care, education, skill training, and job opportunities. Rather than pushing people off the streets, the project’s intention is to enable them to live with decency and independence.
