Delhi: Mobile courts to make Delhi beggars free ahead of CW

Minister for Social Welfare, Law and Justice Mangat Ram Singhal said Delhi would be made beggars-free before the beginning of the Commonwealth Games 2010.

Speaking to media persons after inaugurating two mobile courts for trial of beggars in the capital, Mr Singhal said the government had started the work of catching and rehabilitating the beggars on a fast pace.

The mobile courts will work under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959.

Speaking at the function, where Secretary of the Social Welfare Department Devashri Mukharjee and many other senior officials of the Department were also present, the Minister said for the time being such courts have been started here on a trial basis.

‘The government is in the process to set up four similar courts in the coming days,’ Mr Singhal said.

He said special Metropolitan Magistrate and Probation Officers would be stationed in the courts to deliver quick judgment on the alms-seeker caught.

Twelve Vans are already working in Delhi to catch the beggars. These vans produce those caught before the Metropolitan Magistrate in Kingsway Camp and from there they are sent to different Beggars Homes, he added.

At present, 11 Beggars Homes are being run by the state government where 2200 beggars can be kept.

The Minister said the Social Welfare Department has estimated the number of beggars in Delhi to be about 60,000, among them 30 per cent are below 18 years of age, 69.94 per cent are males and 30.06 per cent are females.

He said many welfare schemes have been started by the state government to prevent begging in the national capital. The government is also in the process of preparing a database of alms-seeker, which will enable the officials to ascertain how many times a beggar has been caught and how much punishment has been given to him.